C«a_ 


>- 


. 

>- 


I 


IN  AND  AROUND 

THE    OLD 

Louis  CATHEDRAL 

OF    NEW    ORLEANS 


REV.  C.  M.  CHAMBON 


NEW  ORLEANS 

Philippe's  Printery,   Exchange  Place 
1908 


COPYRIGHT,    1908 

BY   C.   M.    CHAMBON 

NEW    ORLKANS 


V- 


TO   THE   MEMORY 

OF   THE 

MISSIONARIES  AND   COLONISTS 

WHOSE 

FAITH   AND   GALLANTRY 

MADE    OF 

LOUISIANA   A   LAND  OF  RELIGION  AND  ROMANCE 

THIS   ESSAY  IS 

HUMBLY   INSCRIBED 


1600256 


INTRODUCTION. 

This  publication  does  not  lay  claim  to  originality. 
It  has  been  composed  with  the  help  of  many  sympa- 
thizers, and  some  of  its  pages  are  mere  translations 
of  old  documents  or  quotations  from  periodicals  and 
local  publications. 

The  author  wrote  with  the  sacred  love  of  the 
past,  but  never  failed  to  aim  to  the  verity  of  facts, 
even  when  he  found  it  necessary  to  differ  from  noted 
historians  whose  merits  are  beyond  question.  The 
best  tribute  one  could  ever  confer  on  the  Mother 
Church  of  Louisiana  is  to  present  its  history  clothed 
in  the  divine  garb  of  truth. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY  : 

Francois  Xavier  Martin : 

The  History  of  Louisiana  from  the  Earliest  Period.    New 
Orleans,  1882. 

Charles  Gayarr6 : 

History  of  Louisiana.     New  Orleans,  1903. 

Alce"e  Fortier : 

A  History  of  Louisiana.     Paris  and  New  York,  1904. 

John  Giluiary  Shea : 

History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States.    New 

York,  1892. 
The   Hierarchy  of  the   Catholic   Church   in   the   United 

States.     New  York,  1886. 
The  Defenders  of  Our  Faith.   New  York,  1892. 

Camille  de  Rocheraouteix  : 

Les  Je"suites  et  la  Nouvelle  France  au  18e  Siecle.     Paris, 
1906. 


—  8  — 

HeDry  C.  Castellauos : 

New  Orleans  As  It  Was.     New  Orleans,  1905. 

A  Member  of  the  Order  of  Mercy  : 

Essays  Educational  ami  Historic.     New  York,  1899. 

L.  J.  Loewenstein : 

History  of  the  St.  Louis  Cathedral  of  New  Orleans.    1882. 

James  M.  Augustin : 

Sketch  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Louisiana.   New  Orleans, 

1893. 

Transfer  of  Louisiana  from  France  to  the  United  States. 
New  Orleans,  1904. 

Henry  Rightor : 

Standard  History  of  New  Orleans.     Chicago,  1900. 

Howard  Memorial  Library: 

Books. and  Pamphlets  on  Church  History. 

Manuscript  Authorities : 

Archives  of  the  City  Hall  of  New  Orleans. 

Archives  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  of  New  Orleans. 

Centeuaire  du  Pere  Antoine.     New  Orleans,  1885. 


CONTENTS. 


PART   I  —  HISTORICAL   SKETCHES. 

CHATTER    I. 

THE  SAINT  Louis  PARISH  CHURCH  OF  NEW  ORLEANS  AND 

THK  CAPUCHIN  FATHERS  OF  FRANCE  AND 

SPAIN  IN  LOUISIANA. 

First  Religions  Structures  in  New  Orleans  —  Organization 
of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Louisiana  —  The  Capuchin 
Fa  fliers  of  Champagne  —  New  Orleans  and  Its  People 
in  Early  Colonial  Days  —  The  Jesuit  War  — The  Capu- 
chin Quarrel  —  Truth  Better  Than  Legend  —  The  End 
of  an  Epoch  .........  15 

CHAPTER  II. 

DON  ANDRKS  ALMONESTKR  Y  ROXAS. 
A  Noble  Benefactor  —  A  Solemn  Dedication  —  The  Troubles 

of  a  Generous  Man — "  Sic  Transit  Gloria  Mnndi."          .     37 

CHAPTER  III. 

PERE  AXTOINE. 

A  Much  Debated  Character  —  The  Tribunal  of  the  Holy  In- 
quisition in  Louisiana  —  Humility  and  Charity  of  Pere 
Antoine  —  A  Pompous  Funeral 47 


PART   II  — THE   SAINT   LOUIS   CATHEDRAL. 

CHAPTER  I. 

IN  COMING  DOWN  A  CENTURY.  63 

CHAPTER  II. 

A  "Ts  DEUM"  OF  VICTORY. 

General  Jackson  Welcomed  at  the  Cathedral's  Threshold  by 
Abbe"  Louis  Guillaume  Dubourg 64 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  CATHEDRAL  OF  OUR  DAYS. 
The  Cathedral  Repaired,  Decorated  and  Furnished       .        .    71 


—  10- 

CHAPTKR  IV. 

FOR  VISITORS'  SAKE. 

Cosmopolitan  Character  of  a  Congregation  —  The  Swiss 
Guard  —  A  Glimpse  of  the  Alt;irs,  Paintings  and  Stained 
Glass  Windows  —  The  Abode  of  Illustrious  Dead  .  .  75 

CHAPTER   V. 

THE  CATHKDHAL  ARCHIVES. 

How  the  Records  Were  Handed  Down  —  Oldest  Entries  — 
Terrible  Stories  in  a  Few  Lines  Side  Lights  on  Civil 
and  Religious  Life  of  Old 91 


PART  III  — AROUND  THE  CATHEDRAL. 

CHAPTER   I. 

THE  OLD  ST.  Louis  CEMETERY. 

Successive  Locations  of  the  Earliest  Cemetery  of  New  Or- 
leans—  Inscriptions  of  Historical  Interest  —  The  For- 
gotten Corner  —  Lessons  on  Life  Learned  from  the 
Dead 107 

CHAPTER  II. 

ST.  ANTHONY  MORTUARY  CHAPEL. 

The  Origin  of  a  Shrine  —  The  Last  Years  of  a  Soldier  Priest 
—  The  St.  Anthony  Chapel  Becomes  an  Italian  Parish 
Church 123 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  OLD  URSULINK  CONVENT  (ARCHBISHOPRIC). 

Pioneers  of  Female  Education  in  North  America  —  Memo- 
rable Journey  of  the  Ursnliue  Nuns — A  Triumphal  Pag- 
eant—  A  Mute  Witness  of  the  Past  .  133 


CENTENNIAL   GLORIES. 

A  CENTURY  OF  EPISCOPACY 153 

"MUTANTUR  IMPKRIA,  ECCLESIA  DURAT"        .        .        .        165 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


His  Grace,  Most  Rev.  James  H.  Blenk  (frontispiece). 

Father  Dagobert  de  Longuy 28 

The  Saiut  Louis  Cathedral  of  New  Orleans  in  1794    .         .        38 

Don  Andres  Alraonester  y  Roxas 41 

Right  Rev.  Peualver  y  Cardenas 43 

Fac  Simile  of  the  Page  Recording  the  First  Sale  of  the 

Pews  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral     ...        45 

Pere  Antoirie  de  Sedella 51 

The  Cathedral  Viewed  from  the  River  about  1840      .        .        65 

Abbe"  Guillaume  V.  Dubourg 67 

Very  Rev.  H.  C.  Mignot 73 

A  Cosmopolitan  Group 77 

The  Swiss  Guard  in  Full  Regalia 79 

Altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes 83 

Shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes 85 

Interior  of  the  Cathedral 87 

The  Cathedral  Archives  and  Their  Custodian  ...  93 
Side  View  of  the  Old  St.  Louis  Cemetery  ....  113 
Charles  Gayarre"  and  Etieune  de  Bora's  Tomb  .  .  .  115 

The  Neglected  Corner 117 

A  Forlorn  Alley ..119 

St.  Anthony  Chapel  in  1840 125 

Father  Turgis 129 

The  Lauding  of  the  Ursuline  Nuns 137 

The  Present  Ursuline  Convent 145 

The  Old  Ursuline  Convent  (Archbishopric)  .  .  .  149 
His  Grace,  Most  Rev.  Francis  Jausseus  ....  155 

Very  Rev.  H.  Hage 158 

A  Memorable  Procession 167 

Rev.  de  la  Moriniere 169 

Right  Rev.  Monsignore  J.  M.  Laval,  V.  G.  .  .  ^  .  .  171 
His  Excellence,  Most  Rev.  Louis  P.  Chapelle  .  .  .  175 


PART    I. 


HISTORICAL   SKETCHES. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE  SAINT  LOUIS  PARISH  CHURCH  OF  NEW  ORLEANS 

AND  THE  CAPUCHIN  FATHERS  OF  FRANCE 

AND  SPAIN  IN  LOUISIANA. 


FIRST  RELIGIOUS  STRUCTURES  OF  NEW  ORLEANS  —  OUGANIZA- 
TION  OF  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  LOUISIANA  —  THE 
CAPUCHIN  FATHERS  OF  CHAMPAGNE  —  NEW  ORLEANS 
AND  ITS  PEOPLE  IN  EARLY  COLONIAL  DAYS  —  THE 
JESUIT  WAR  —  THE  CAPUCHIN  QUARREL  —  TRUTH  BET- 
TER THAN  LEGEND  —  THE  END  OF  AN  EPOCH. 


It  is  impossible  not  to  feel  the  peaceful  repose, 
the  strange  stillness  which  pervades  the  atmosphere 
of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral :  romance  and  religion 
blend  there  more  closely  than  at  any  other  spot  of 
this  quaint  old  city.  But  few,  if  any,  of  the  vast 
throngs  that  daily  cross  its  threshold  have  ever  given 
a  thought  to  its  predecessor,  an  humble  church  of 
old  wherein,  for  more  than  sixty  years,  Capuchin 
Fathers  toiled  and  ministered  to  the  settlers  and 
colonists  of  the  earlier  New  Orleans. 

This  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church,  as  it  was  called, 
has  long  since  disappeared,  its  priests  are  dead  and 
forgotten,  arid  nothing  remains  to  tell  their  story 
but  a  few  documents,  almost  all  incomplete,  dis- 
orderly, and  some  partly  altered  by  legend. 

Nevertheless,  each  and  every  one  of  them  is  a 
fragment  of  history,  and  all  deserved  to  be  gathered 


—  16  — 


as  to  give  not  only  a  mere  accumulation  of  facts, 
but  also  the  true  significance  of  their  compilation. 


Although  the  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church  traces 
its  origin  to  the  very  beginning  of  the  foundation 
of  New  Orleans,  it  was  not  the  first  religious  edifice 
ever  erected  in  this  city.  According  to  the  his- 
torian, Charlevoix,  the  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church 
was  preceded  by  another  church  and  two  temporary 
shelters  devoted  to  religious  purposes. 

u  I  have  at  last  arrived  in  this  famous  city  called 
La  Nouvelle-Orl^ans, writes  Charlevoix  to  the  Duchess 
of  Lesdiguieres  on  January  10,  1722  *  *  *  about 
a  hundred  huts  placed  here  and  there,  a  large  store 
of  wood,  one  or  three  houses  and  half  of  a  miserable 
store  comprise  the  town;  the  humblest  village  in 
France  can  boast  of  better  homes.  It  was  in  this  little 
store  the  Lord  was  first  worshipped,  but  hardly  had  He 
been  placed  therein,  when  they  had  Him  removed  to 
place  Him  under  a  tent."  To  our  eyes,  an  utter  disre- 
gard of  religion,  but  little  else  could  be  expected  from 
the  settlers  who  first  cleared  the  land  and  built  some 
hundred  huts  along  the  river.  They  were  not  May 
Flower  Pilgrims,  but  mostly  traders,  soldiers  and 
adventurers,  whose  religious  feelings  had  been  un- 
doubtedly dulled  by  their  life  of  travel  and  hardships. 

However,  shortly  after  Charlevoix's  visit,  and 
possibly  at  his  own  instigation,  something  more 
decent  than  a  tent  was  offered  to  the  Lord  as  a  house 
of  worship.  This  was  a  small  stucco  church,  the 
first  regular  church  ever  built  in  Xew  Orleans. 
Lovenstein,  in  his  history  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral, 


—  17  — 

asserts  that  this  church  had  been  dedicated  to  Saint 
Ignatius,  its  rector  being'  a  Capuchin  father  named 
Matthias  ;  but  of  this  we  flnd  no  record  whatsoever. 
All  we  know  of  this  first  parish  church  of  Xew  Or- 
leans is  its. destruction  by  a  terrible  hurricane  which 
occurred  on  the  llth  of  September,  17-3. 

Again  New  Orleans  was  without  a  place  of  wor- 
ship, and  the  prospects  of  the  Church  in  this  new 
country  would  have  been  hopeless  if  a  religious  organi- 
zation had  not  been  already  planned  and  fostered  for 
Louisiana. 


Catholicism  had  penetrated  into  Louisiana  with 
civilization.  De  Soto,  La  Salle,  Bienville,  in  all 
their  expeditions,  were  accompanied  by  missionaries. 
•Priests  from  Canada  came  down  the  Mississippi  with 
the  traders  and  the  soldiers  to  christianize  the 
Southern  tribes  and  minister  to  the  first  settlers 
scattered  along  the  Gulf  and  the  lower  banks  of  the 
"  Great  Kiver." 

But  these  missionaries  were  almost  without  re- 
sources, completely  isolated,  and  thus  their  ministry 
could  not  be  progressive  or  fruitful ;  a  more  syste- 
matic as  well  as  a  broader  ecclesiastical  government 
was  deemed  imperative. 

Eeports  had  reached  Bishop  Saint  Vallier  of 
Quebec  about  the  laxity  of  religion  and  utter  dis- 
regard of  moral  law  then  prevailing  among  the 
colonists  of  Louisiana.  These  reports,  together  with 
other  statements  from  authentic  sources  about  the 
spiritual  destitution  of  the  colony,  induced  the 
Western  Company's  Commissioners  to  come  to  a 


—  18  — 

better  fulfilment  of  the  duties  they  had  shouldered 
in  obtaining  the  monopoly  of  trade  in  Louisiana. 
"As  we  regard  particularly  the  glory  of  (lod,  reads 
the  53rd  clause  of  the  'Lettres  Patentes,'  we  desire 
the  Inhabitants,  Indians,  Negroes,  to  be  taught  the 
true  religion.  The  said  Company  shall  be  compelled 
to  build,  at  its  expense,  churches  at  the  place  where 
it  forms  settlements,  as  also  to  maintain  the  required 
number  of  approved  ecclesiastics,  either  with  the 
rank  of  parish  priests,  or  such  men  as  shall  be  suitable 
to  preach  the  Holy  Gospel,  perform  divine  service 
and  administer  the  sacraments;  all  to  be  under  the 
authority  of  the  Bishop  of  Quebec,  the  said  colony 
remaining  in  his  diocese  as  heretofore,  and  the  parish 
priests  and  other  ecclesiastics  which  the  Company 
shall  maintain  there,  being  at  his  nomination  and 
under  his  patronage." 

With  the  consent  of  the  Bishop  of  Quebec,  the 
Commissioners  of  the  Council  of  the  Western  Company 
issued  an  ordinance,  May  16,  1722,  dividing  Louis- 
iana into  three  ecclesiastical  sections.  North  of  the 
Ohio  was  intrusted  to  the  Society  of  Jesus  and  the 
priests  of  the  Foreign  Missions  of  Quebec  and  Paris. 

The  district  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  liio 
Perdito,  as  also  the  country  north  of  the  Ohio,  was 
tendered  to  the  Discalced  Carmelite  Fathers,  with 
their  headquarters  in  Mobile.  The  French  and  Indian 
settlements  of  the  Lower  Mississippi  were  assigned 
to  the  Capuchin  Fathers  of  the  Province  of  Cham- 
pagne, France. 

Not  long  after,  this  division  was  greatly  altered. 
The  Carmelites  were  recalled  and  their  district  given 
over  to  the  Capuchins.  But  they,  not  having  the 


—  19  — 

requisite  number  of  priests,  forced  the  Western 
Company  to  intrust  the  religious  welfare  of  all  the 
Indian  tribes  to  the  Jesuit  Fathers.  Thus,  Louisiana 
was  finally  divided  between  the  Capuchins  and  the 
Jesuits :  the  former  in  charge  of  the  colonists  and 
the  latter  in  charge  of  the  Indians.  Both  the  su- 
periors of  these  orders  were  vicar-generals  of  the 
Bishop  of  Quebec,  each  in  his  own  jurisdiction. 


It  is  no  wonder  that  we  find  the  Jesuits  among 
the  pioneers  of  religion  in  Louisiana.  They  are  and 
have  been  nearly  everywhere  where  Christianity 
could  be  propagated.  But  the  presence  of  the 
Capuchins,  under  these  Southern  skies,  astonishes 
us  somewhat.  In  fact,  their  coming  into  this  country 
originated  from  a  mere  coincidence.  When  the  Com- 
missioners of  the  Western  Company  applied  for  mis- 
sionaries, the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  colony  was 
intrusted  to  Louis  Francis  Duplessis  de  Mornay, 
Bishop  "  in  partibus  "  of  Eumenia  and  Coadjutor  to 
the  Bishop  of  Quebec. 

This  prelate,  who  had  been  a  Capuchin  himself, 
resided  in  Paris,  and  from  there  supervised  and 
directed  the  missionaries  of  the  province.  When 
the  Western  Company  applied  to  him  in  1717  for 
missionaries  to  be  sent  in  Louisiana,  Bishop  de 
Mornay  tendered  the  offer  to  the  Capuchin  Order, 
from  which  lie  came.  They  accepted  gratefully  and  re- 
ceived the  King's  approval  on  April  of  the  same  year. 

However,  their  earliest  appearance  in  their  new 
field  of  labor  is  not  chronicled  before  1720,  three  years 
after  their  assignment.  Father  Jean  Matthieu  de 


—  20  — 

Saiiite  Anne  is  the  first  whose  name  has  been  recorded 
in  this  country.  He  signs  himself  in  the  register  of 
the  parish  of  New  Orleans  on  the  22d  of  October, 
1720,  as  "  Jean  Matthieu  de  Sainte  Anne,  Pretre  Mis- 
sionnaire  et  Cur6  du  Vieux  Biloxi."  Further  on,  on 
the  18th  of  January,  1721,  he  again  signs  himself  as 
"  Vicaire  Apostolique  et  Cure"  de  La  Mobile." 

In  1722  Father  Bruno  de  Langres  sailed  from 
France  with  several  of  his  brethren.  Father  liaphael 
de  Luxembourg,  Superior  of  the  Capuchin  Missions 
in  Louisiana,  arrived  the  following  spring,  1723,  and 
took  charge  of  the  Parish  Church  of  Nc\v  Orleans. 

A  register  in  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  archives 
shows  his  signature  August  18th,  1723,  as  "F. 
Eaphael  de  Luxembourg,  Siiperieur  de  la  Mission  et 
Cure  de  1'figlise  paroissiale." 

A  little  later,  January,  1724,  he  adds  the  title  of 
Vicar-General,  which  he  had  received  from  the  Bishop 
of  Quebec. 

The  first  Capuchins  who  came  to  Louisiana  bad 
much  to  contend  with  upon  their  arrival  in  Xew  Or- 
leans. Their  congregation  was  scattered  over  a  large 
area,  and,  added  to  their  poverty,  there  was  a  total 
ignorance  of  religion.  Colonists  were  even  imbued 
with  the  skepticism  and  naturalism,  which  at  that 
time  were  already  undermining  the  French  nation. 

Father  liaphael  tells  us  when  he  landed  in  New 
Orleans  he  could  hardly  secure  a  room  for  himself 
and  his  brethren  to  occupy,  and  much  less  one  to 
convert  into  a  chapel,  for  the  population  was  indiffer- 
ent to  all  that  savored  of  the  church.  On  Sundays, 
a  little  over  thirty  persons  attended  mass.  Un- 
daunted, the  Capuchin  Fathers  toiled  on  and  at  last 


—  21  — 

were  rewarded  by  seeing'  dorinaut  hearts  pulsate 
once  more  for  their  religion.  The  garb  of  these 
monks  became  a  familiar  sight  and  the  ceremonies  of 
the  Church  brought  the  colonists  sweet  recollections 
of  their  mother  country. 

Less  than  a  couple  of  years  following  his  arrival, 
Father  liaphael  was  gladdened  by  the  erection  of  a 
church  built  to  replace  the  first  one  prematurely  de- 
stroyed by  the  hurricane  of  September,  1723.  It  was 
on  a  larger  scale  than  the  former,  built  of  brick 
and  dedicated  to  Saint  Louis,  in  honor  of  Louis  the 
Fifteenth,  then  King  of  France. 

Thus,  after  years  of  hardships  and  trials,  the 
Capuchins  were  comparatively  established  in  a  stately 
manner,  and  their  "  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church  "  was 
destined  to  become,  for  a  period  of  sixty  years  and 
more,  the  center  of  the  colonial  life  iu-Xew  Orleans. 


When  Xew  Orleans  completed  its  first  decade  of 
existence,  the  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church  was  the 
only  redeeming  feature  of  the  city.  Although  it  was 
comparatively  a  small  and  poorly  decorated  church, 
its  spire  towered  over  the  other  buildings  with  some- 
what of  majesty.  The  Capuchins'  residence  stood  at 
its  left,  the  Guard  House  at  its  right.  In  front  of 
its  porch,  the  "  Place  d'Armes"  infolded  a  square  of 
green,  through  which  two  diagonal  alleys  led  to  the 
harbor.  The  homes  of  the  colonial  officials  and  com- 
mercial potentates  were  mostly  situated  on  the  water 
front  or  along  Chartres  street.  The  "  Place  d'Armes  " 
and  its  surroundings  were  then  the  fashionable 
quarters. 


As  for  the  rest,  it  was  forlorn  confusion,  and, 
though  the  plan  of  I  lie  city  showed  a  large  parallel- 
ogram of  five  thousand  feet  of  river  front  by  a 
depth  of  eighteen  hundred,  yet.  the  greatest  part  of 
it  was  rather  disorderly  and  squalid,  the  ground 
being  occupied  but  by  a  fe\v  scattered  log  cabins, 
thatched  with  cypress,  isolated  from  each  other  by 
willow  brakes,  sloughs,  bristling  with  dwarf  palmet- 
toes  and  reedy  ponds  swarming  with  reptiles.  No 
one  yet  bad  built  beyond  Dauphine  street,  nor  below 
the  Hospital — now  the  corner  of  Chartres  and  Hos- 
pital streets — nor  above  Bienville,  except  the  Gover- 
nor, whose  palace  stood  at  the  extreme  upper  corner 
of  the  town — now  Customhouse  and  Decatur  streets. 
Such  was  New  Orleans  when  it  completed  its 
first  decade  of  existence.  If  we  deprive  the  vision 
of  its  halo,  the  New  Orleans  of  1728  was  nothing 
more  than  a  poor  village,  hastily  built  between  a 
formidable  river  and  dismal  swamps.  Nevertheless 
it  was  New  Orleans,  and  beyond  the  far  horizon, 
the  wise  could  foresee  its  future  glory  already  dawn- 
ing. In  his  letter  to  the  Duchess  of  Lesdiguieres, 
Charlevoix  wrote  these  prophetic  words :  "  My  hopes, 
I  think,  are  well  founded  that  this  wild  and  desert 
place,  which  the  reeds  and  trees  still  cover  almost 
entirely,  will  be  one  day,  and  that  day  not  far  distant, 
•  a  city  of  opulence,  and  the  metropolis  of  a  great  and 
rich  colony." 

We  cannot,  indeed,  refrain  from  wonder  and  ad- 
miration when  we  think  of  the  little  village  of  1728, 
and  compare  it  to  the  New  Orleans  of  to-day,  gra- 
ciously bending  its  mighty  crescent  along  the  restless 
waters  of  the  Mississippi. 


Although  Xew  Orleans  by  no  means  in  its  be- 
ginnings suggested  the  splendors  of  Paris,  there  was 
no  lack  of  interest  in  its  social  life.  There  was  a 
Governor  with  a  military  staff ;  and  the  army  officers, 
with  their  manners  once  displayed  at  the  Court  of 
Versailles,  lent  to  the  colonial  life  an  air  of  gallantry 
and  grandeur.  As  in  France,  in  this  time,  the  Gov- 
ernment was  in  close  touch  with  the  Church:  the 
Governor  used  to  call  on  the  good  Capuchin  Fathers 
and  his  wife  visited  the  Ursuline  Ladies  who  had 
come  to  take  charge  of  the  hospital  and  give  the 
daughters  of  the  colonists  the  thorough  education  im- 
parted in  French  convents. 

But  besides  the  manners  and  usages  imported 
from  the  mother  country,  there  were  also  quaint 
customs  which  gave  to  the  Louisiana  of  colonial 
days  characteristics  so  much  talked  of  in  romance 
and  so  little  known  in  history. 

There  has  been  lately  discovered,  in  the  archives 
of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral,  a  document  partially 
illustrating  this  subject.  It  refers  to  a  meeting  held 
by  the  prominent  citizens  of  the  city  at  which  were 
discussed  the  most  feasible  ways  and  means  of  rais- 
ing the  necessary  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  pres- 
bytery. 

The  following  extract  is  translated  from  the 
original :  "This  second  day  of  November,  1738,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  colony  assembled  at  the  Hotel  of 
the  Intendauce,  upon  the  requisition  of  Father  Mat- 
thias, Vicar-General  to  the  Bishop  of  Quebec,  in 
presence  of  Mr.  de  Bienville,  Governor  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Louisiana,  and  Mr.  Salmon,  Commissary 
of  the  Xavy  and  First  Justice  of  the  Superior  Conn- 


24 

cil.  The  assembly  had  been  announced  yesterday  in 
the  parish  church  of  this  city,  and  the  bells  were 
rung  to  call  the  meeting  to-day."  Then  follow  the 
deliberations  "  which  could  not  be  put  into  execution 
on  account— says  a  later  report — of  a  war  and  gen- 
eral famine,  which  broke  out  in  the  colony."  In  1744 
this  same  project  was  revived  and  the  following  reso- 
lutions adopted:  "A  tax  of  fifty  cents  will  be  im- 
posed upon  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  parish  for  each 
and  every  head  of  negroes.  In  addition  to  this  the  in- 
habitants have  agreed  upon  a  personal  tax  propor- 
tioned to  the  amount  of  real  estate  owned  by  them, 
said  amount  to  be  decided  by  a  board  composed  of 
ten  of  the  most  prominent  citizens." 

Through  the  geuerosity  of  the  parishioners  the 
presbytery  was  erected.  There  dwelt  the  parish 
priest, 

Father  Raphael  de  Luxembourg,  with  his  assistant, 

Father  Hyacinthe,  and  the  school  master, 

Father  Cecil. 

It  also  served  as  a  "pied-a-terre"  for  the  follow- 
ing Capuchin  Fathers,  then  iu  charge  of  the  country 
missions: 

Father  Theodore,  from  Chapitoulas. 

Father  Philippe,  from  Les  Allemands. 

Father  Gaspard,  from  La  Balize. 

Father  Matthias,  from  La  Mobile. 

Father  Maximin,  from  Katchitoches. 

Father  PhUibert,  from  Natchez. 

Father  Victorin  Dupuy,  from  Les  Apalaches. 


The  decisions  of  the  Western  Company  gave  to 
the  Capuchins  the  exclusive  control  of  the  colonists; 
as  we  already  know,  the  evangelization  of  the  In- 
dians had  been  intrusted  to  the  Jesuit  Fathers.  Their 
Superior,  Father  Petit,  resided  in  Xew  Orleans,  as  the 
most  convenient  place  to  have  his  headquarters  to 
direct  and  support  his  brethren  in  charge  of  the 
tribes  and  whose  names,  taken  from  a  report  of  that 
time,  are  as  follows  : 

Father  Poisson,  with  the  Arkansas. 

Father  Tartarin  and 

Father  Le  Boulenyer  at  Kaskia. 

Father  Ginjpeneau  among  the  Metchigameas. 

Father  Doutreleau  on  the  Ouabache. 

Father  Souel  among  the  Yazoos. 

Father  Beaudouin,  who  was  then  attempting  the 
dangerous  task  of  establishing  a  mission  among  the 
treacherous  Chickasaws. 

Notwithstanding  the  distinct  and  separate  juris- 
diction of  the  Capuchins  and  of  the  Jesuits,  there 
occurred  some  friction  between  these  two  orders, 
which  gave  rise  to  a  series  of  contentions  known  de- 
risively as  the  "War  of  the  Capuchins  with  the 
Jesuits." 

Father  I>eaudouin,  having  received  a  commission 
as  Vicar-General  from  the  Bishop  of  Quebec,  per- 
formed in  that  capacity  certain  ceremonies  in  the  city. 
The  Capuchin  Fathers,  together  with  the  Councilmen, 
protested  against  what  they  considered  an  encroach- 
ment upon  their  rights  in  their  jurisdiction,  adding 
that  according  to  their  agreement  with  the  Western 
Company,  the  Superior  of  the  Jesuits  could  reside  in 
New  Orleans,  but  could  not,  without  their  consent, 


—  26  — 

perform  therein  siny  religions  function.  To  this  the 
Jesuits  objected,  maintaining1  that  there  was  no  vio- 
lation of  the  established  rules,  as  their  Superior  acted 
not  as  a  Jesuit,  but  as  Vicar-General  to  the  Bishop 
of  Quebec.  So  the  motive  of  the  famous  war  was  a 
mere  question  of  jurisdiction;  in  reality  a  petty  dis- 
cussion unworthy  of  notice.  Some  writers,  however, 
have  exaggerated  its  importance,  but  failed  at  the 
same  time  to  emphasize  the  shameful  spoliation  of 
the  Jesuits  by  the  French  Government,  which  sud- 
denly put  an  end  to  the  quarrel.  For  it  was  at  this 
same  time,  the  9th  of  June,  1763,  that  an  Act  of  the 
Superior  Council  of  Louisiana  suppressed  the  Order 
of  the  Jesuits  throughout  the  colony,  saying  it  was 
dangerous  to  the  royal  authority,  to  the  rights  of  the 
bishops,  to  the  public  peace  and  safety.  The  Jesuits 
were  forbidden  to  use  the  name  of  their  societj*,  as 
also  their  habit.  Their  property  was  confiscated  and 
sold  for  $180,000.  Moreover,  the  Jesuits  were  not 
only  deprived  of  their  property,  but  their  chapel  was 
leveled  to  the  ground,  leaving  exposed  the  vaults 
wherein  the  dead  were  interred.  They  were  com- 
pelled to  give  up  their  missions,  and  were  placed  on 
a  vessel  about  to  sail  for  France. 

TSot  only  did  the  Capuchins  forget  their  dissen- 
sions, but  interfered  in  the  behalf  of  the  Jesuits, 
going  so  far  as  to  offer  them  a  temporary  shelter 
alongside  their  own.  The  latter,  greatly  pleased  by 
this  solicitude,  expressed  their  gratitude  by  leaving 
their  hosts  the  books  they  had  saved  from  the  spolia- 
tion. 

It  is  sad  to  say  that  the  same  writer  who  de- 
scribed the  Capuchin  war  to  its  trifling  details,  did 


—  27  — 

not  find  a  single  word  wherewith  to  blame  the  spolia- 
tors who  marred  our  history  with  such  a  shameful 
crime  against  the  right  of  property  and  human  lib- 
erty. Among  the  men  responsible  for  this  horrible 
profanation,  La  Freniere's  name  alone  descended  to 
us.  Strange  to  say,  his  fate  was  an  awful  one.  Less 
than  six  years  after  the  exile  of  the  Jesuits  he  was 
charged  with  conspiracy  and  put  to  death  by  the 
Spanish  Government.  In  history  he  is  ranked  among 
the  martyrs  of  liberty;  but  who  could  heartily  give 
such  a  title  to  the  very  one  who  shamefully  wronged 
his  fellow  citizens,  and  banished  those  who  had  con- 
tributed so  much,  both  to  the  social  and  the  material 
advancement  of  the  colony1? 


* 
* 


Out  of  the  nine  or  ten  Capuchins  left  in  Louisi- 
ana, when  the  Jesuits  were  expelled,  five  resided  in 
New  Orleans,  with  Father  Dagobert  de  Longuy  at 
their  head.  He  had  succeeded  as  superior  Father 
Hilaire  de  Genevaux,  exiled  from  the  province  some 
years  previous,  for  having  refused  to  share  in  a 
scheme  of  revolt  planned  by  the  council  men  against 
the  Spaniards.  Father  Dagobert  was  well  known 
and  beloved  in  the  colony.  Having  lauded  in  ]S"ew 
Orleans  in  the  very  beginning  of  1723,  he  was  already 
an  old  man  when  promoted  to  the  Superiorsbip  of  his 
Order.  He  lived  long  enough,  however,  to  witness 
the  landing  of  the  Spaniards,  as  also  the  first  years 
of  O'Reilly's  administration.  It  was  he  who  stood  on 
the  threshold  of  the  church  to  welcome  this  famous 
General  in  the  name  of  the  clergy  and  parishioners, 


28  — 


when  the  latter,  on  the  18th  of  August,  1769,  sur- 
rounded by  his  escort  in  gorgeous  array,  crossed  the 
"Place  d'Armes"  arid  proceeded  to  the  church. 

Amidst  the  hon- 
ors and  solemni- 
ties befitting  the 
occasion,  Father 
Dagobert  prom- 
ised fidelity  to  the 
Crown  of  Spain 
and  blessed  the 
new  colors  which 
were  hoisted  in 
place  of  the  white 
banner  of  France. 
The  change  of 
government  caus- 
ed a  change  of  ec- 
clesiastical juris- 
diction. The  prov- 
ince passed  from 
the  hands  of  the 
Bishop  of  Quebec 

to  the  hands  of  the  Bishop  of  Santiago  of  Cuba.  At 
first  the  new  prelate  confirmed  Father  Dagobert  in 
his  capacity  of  Vicar-General,  with  which  he  had  been 
invested  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Jesuits.  This  was 
the  wish  of  Louis  XV,  who  asked,  in  the  cession  of 
Louisiana,  "for  the  ecclesiasticals  to  be  continued  in 
their  functions  in  the  province."  But,  soon,  this  royal 
wish  was  disregarded,  and  not  long  after  the  landing 
of  O'lteilly,  Spanish  Capuchins  began  to  fill  the  place 
of  their  French  brethren. 


Photo  C.  M.  C.  Courtesy  of  Miss  DeVilliers. 

'  REV.  FATHER  DAGOBERT  DE  LONGUY. 


—  29  — 

This  action,  however,  did  not  pass  without  trou- 
ble, and.  the  same  monks  who  protested  against  the 
alleged  encroachments  of  the  Jesuits,  tried,  some  ten 
years  after,  to  oppose  the  pretentious  of  the  Spanish 
Capuchins.  Contradictory  reports  reached,  the  new 
bishop  about  religious  conditions  in  Louisiana,  and 
led  him  to  investigate.  For  this  purpose  he  sent 
Father  Cyrillo  de  Barcelona,  with  four  Spanish  Ca- 
puchins, to  Xew  Orleans,  namely:  Father  Francisco, 
Father  Angel  de  llevillagodos,  Father  Louis  de  Quin- 
tanilla  and  Father  Aleman.  They  landed  on  the  19th 
of  July,  1773.  Father  Dagobert,  leading  the  French 
Capuchins,  and  followed  by  a  large  crowd,  went  in  a 
procession  to  the  levee.  Standing  in  front  of  the 
"Place  d'Arines"  the  new  coiners  were  received  with 
due  honors  and.  great  demonstrations  of  joy.  The 
next  day  they  were  formally  introduced  to  Governor 
Unzaga.  Father  Cyrillo  then  presented  his  creden- 
tials from  the  bishop,  whereupon  the  Governor  ex- 
pressed his  willingness  to  carry  into  execution  the 
mandates  of  his  superior,  the  Bishop  of  Cuba. 

Fathers  Aleman  and  Angel  de  Kevillagodos  were 
at  once  appointed  to  parishes  requiring  pastors,  and 
Father  Cyrillo,  with  his  two  other  companions,  re- 
mained in  New  Orleans  as  Father  Dagobert's  guests. 
This  arrangement,  however,  was  not  destined  to  last, 
both  characters  being  utterly  dissimilar.  Father 
Dagobert  was  more  a  father  than  a  monk;  having 
come  into  the  colony  as  a  young  missionary,  he  had 
baptized  and  married  almost  every  one.  He  was 
kind,  meek,  and  always  ready  to  render  a  service  to 
the  humblest  of  his  flock,  thus  inspiring  love  instead 
of  fear  and  mistrust. 


. 


—  30  — 

Father  Cyrillo  was  the  very  opposite  of  this. 
Brought  up  in  the  Spanish  convents,  where  stern  dis- 
cipline knew  no  master,  he  always  abided  by  the  rigid 
rules  of  his  Order.  Therefore,  the  manner  in  which 
his  French  brethren  exercised  their  duties  seemed 
scandalous  to  him,  and  he  informed  the  Bishop  of 
Cuba  concerning  what  he  considered  lax  methods  of 
administration.  Governor  Unzaga  interfered  in  be- 
half of  the  French  Capuchins,  and  wrote  a  letter  of 
remonstrance  to  the  bishop,  in  which  he  censured  the 
Spanish  friars  severely.  This  offended  the  bishop 
and  both  parties  referred  the  matter  to  the  Spanish 
Court.  The  Government,  without  expressing  a  de- 
cisive opinion,  advised  both  Prelate  and  Governor  to 
compromise  their  disagreement  so  as  to  better  pre- 
serve harmony  between  civil  and  ecclesiastical  au- 
thorities. And  peace  was  once  more  restored :  Father 
Cyrillo  continued  to  minister  with  an  indomitable 
zeal,  whilst  Father  Dagobert  remained  in  charge  of 
the  Saint  Louis  Parochial  Church  of  New  Orleans 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  31st  of  May, 
1776. 

The  funeral  services  were  conducted  by  Father 
Cyrillo  himself,  and  he  signed  the  following  entry  in 
the  mortuary  register: 

"I,  Cyrillo  de  Barcelona performed  the 

funeral  service  of  Her.  Dagobert  of  Longuy  of  the 
Province  of  Champagne,  a  member  of  the  Capuchin 
Order,  and  Apostolic  Missionary  of  this  Province  for 
fifty-three  years,  eleven  months  and  eleven  days,  as 
it  appears  from  his  act  of  obedience  to  the  Kev.  Bar- 
tholome  y  Faxera.  He  was  rector  of  this  Parish 
Church  when  he  died,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 


—  31  — 

years,  nine  mouths  and  eleven  days,  on  the  31st  of 
May,  having-  received  all  the  sacraments  of  the 
Church  in  the  Presbytery. 

'•Xew  Orleans,  June  1st,  1776. 

"KEY.  CYRILLO  DE  BARCELONA." 

* 
*  * 

The  same  historian  who  related,  as  the  world  be- 
lieves, so  graphically,  even  to  the  minutest  details, 
the  war  of  the  Capuchins  with  the  Jesuits,  deemed 
"it  not  inappropriate"  to  give  in  full  the  dreadful 
letters  of  Cyrillo;  but  this  historian  had  failed  to 
offer  a  true  explanation  of  the  cause  and  character  of 
the  whole  quarrel. 

Some  speak  of  Father  Dagobert  as  if  he  was  a 
saiu-t,  others  paint  him  in  the  most  ugly  colors.  But 
all  exaggerate,  and  it  is  more  truthful  to  say  that 
Father  Dagobert  deserves  neither  that  excess  of 
honor,  bestowed  on  him  by  some,  nor  the  indignity 
heaped  upon  his  memory  by  others.  Governor  Un- 
zaga  eulogizes  Father  Dagobert  and  refers  to  him  as 
a  man  loved  and  revered  by  the  people,  a  most  de- 
serving priest,  in  whom  one  could  not  detect  a  single 
one  of  the  crimes  imputed  to  him.  Moreover,  if  he 
had  been  as  this  historian  depicts  him,  he  could  not 
have  escaped  Count  O'Reilly's  vigilant  eye,  as  the 
latter  lived  but  a  few  yards  distant  from  him,  and 
would  have  had  him  removed  for  less  than  his  ac- 
cusers charged  him.  "The  declarations  which  are 
sometimes  found  in  the  writings  of  that  day,  respect- 
ing clerical  depravity,"  says  a  writer,  whose  impar- 
tiality is  universally  recognized,  "as  a  rule,  had  their 
origin  in  monastic  prejudice  or  secular  antipathies. 


—  32  — 

The  clergy  must  have  shared  in  the  virtues  of  that 
period,  for,  otherwise,  their  influence  among  the  peo- 
ple would  appear  incomprehensible." 

As  to  Cyril lo's  accusations,  they  must  not  be 
attributed  to  bad  faith  ;  for  when  he  arrived  in  Lou- 
isiana he  was  totally  ignorant  of  the  customs  and 
language  of  the  country.  Misguided  by  his  zeal,  he 
saw  in  Father  Dagobert's  methods  much  to  censure, 
and  thought  it  his  duty  to  express  his  indignation  to 
the  Bishop  of  Cuba. 

But  to  depict  Father  Cyrillo  as  ambitious  and 
intriguing  would  be  doing  him  a  most  undeserved  in- 
justice, as  he  led  a  very  saintly  life  during  his  stay 
in  the  colony.  When  Father  Cyrillo  succeeded  Fat  her 
Dagobert  as  the  head  of  the  Parochial  Church  of  Xew 
Orleans,  the  King  of  Spain  was  informed  that  the 
Sacrament  of  Confirmation  had  never  been  adminis- 
tered in  Louisiana,  owing  to  the  impossibility  of  the 
Bishop  of  Cuba  traveling  to  such  a  remote  part  of  his 
diocese.  Therefore,  the  King  resolved  in  his  Council 
of  the  Indies,  July  10,  1779,  to  apply  to  the  Holy 
See  to  give  the  Superior  of  the  Missions  in  Louisiana, 
the  power  to  confer  Confirmation  for  a  period  of 
twenty  years.  This  proposition  was  not  favorably 
received,  but  the  appointment  of  an  auxiliary  bishop 
was  suggested,  with  his  headquarters  in  New  Or- 
leans, whence  he  could  visit  the  missions  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi as  well  as  Mobile,  Pensacola  and  St.  Augus- 
tine. 

The  Pope  favored  the  plan  and  appointed  Father 
Cyrillo  de  Barcelona  Auxiliary  Bishop  to  the  See  of 
Santiago  of  Cuba,  with  the  title  of  Bishop  "in  partibus 
infidelium"  of  Tricali.  The  new  prelate  was  consecrat- 


—  33  — 

ed  in  1781  and  proceeded  to  New  Orleans,  which  then 
for  the  first  time  enjoyed  the  presence  of  a  Bishop. 
Cyrillo,  being  a  really  holy  and  saintly  man,  infused 
new  life  into  the  province.  In  1786  he  issued  a  pas- 
toral letter,  urging  his  flock  in  eloquent  terms  to 
attend  mass  on  Sundays  and  Holy  days,  denouncing 
the  wicked  custom  of  the  negroes  who,  at  the  ves- 
pers hour,  assembled  in  a  green  expanse  called  "Place 
Congo"  to  dance  the  bamboula  and  perform  the  hid- 
eous rites  imported  from  Africa  by  the  Yolofs,  Fou- 
lahs,  Bambarras,  Mandigoes  and  other  races  of  the 
Dark  Continent. 

This  zealous  prelate  proved  tireless,  faithfully 
visiting  the  country  parishes,  and  leaving  on  the  pa- 
rochial register  a  detailed  report  of  his  investiga- 
tions, urging  everywhere  the  careful  fulfilment  of  the 
mandates  of  the  Council  of  Trent.  During  his  admin- 
istration the  number  of  priests  in  Louisiana  increased 
rapidly,  and  from  the  official  accounts  we  find  five 
priests  in  New  Orleans  and  one  in  the  following 
places:  Terre  aux  Bceux,  Saint  Charles,  Saint  John 
the  Baptist,  or  Bonnet  Carre,  Saint  James,  Ascension, 
Saint  Gabriel  at  Iberville,  Pointe  Coupee,  Attakapas, 
Opelousas,  Natchitoches,  Natchez,  Saint  Louis,  Sainte 
Genevieve,  Saint  Bernard,  at  Manchac,  or  Galvestou. 

Bishop  Cyrillo's  services  in  Louisiana  were  cut 
short  by  the  establishment  of  the  province  into  a 
diocese  independent  from  the  See  of  Cuba,  in  1793. 

"His  Holiness"  wrote  the  King,  on  the  23rd  of 
November,  1793,  "having  issued  the  consistorial  de- 
cree for  the  dismemberment  of  Louisiana  and  Florida 
and  the  establishment  of  a  new  Bishopric  in  these 
provinces,  I  have  decided  to  withdraw  your  office  of 


Auxiliary,  and  order  you  to  return  to  your  Capuchin 
Province  of  Catalonia,  with  a  salary  <>f  ^1. ()<)()  per 
year." 

Bishop  Cyrillo  returned  to  Havana  and  abided 
with  the  Hospital  Friars  until  such  time  as  lie  could 
obtain  the  payment  of  his  salary,  whereby  he  could 
obey  the  King  by  returning  to  his  own  country.  We 
have  no  record  of  when  or  how  Bishop  Cyrillo  died. 
But  this  much  we  know,  his  life  was  one  of  trials  and 
hardships,  ending  in  poverty  and  humility.  Such 
was  the  man  who  unconsciously  started  and  fought 
the  famous  "Quarrel  of  the  Capuchins." 

The  lives  and  the  deeds  of  both  Fathers  Dago- 
bert  and  Cyrillo,  better  than  any  plea,  show  that  the 
quarrel  originated  from  the  contact  of  two  men  di- 
versely educated,  but  by  no  means  sprung  from  their 
ambition  or  jealousy.  Instead  of  "an  historical  illus- 
tration" that  Gayarre  deemed  "not  inappropriate"1 
to  insert  in  his  history,  he  has  only  succeeded  in 
writing  a  tale  "a  la  Rabelais,"  but  in  a  much  less 
talented  way. 


When  Bishop  Cyrillo  was  appointed  Auxiliary 
Bishop  to  the  See  of  Cuba,  with  the  special  care  of 
Louisiana  and  Florida,  he  resigned  the  rectorship  of 
the  Saint  Louis  Parochial  Church  and  appointed  in 
his  stead  Father  Antonio  de  Sedela  y  Arze. 

This  famous  monk,  better  known  as  ••  Pere  An- 
toiue,"  was  the  last  rector  of  the  Parish  Church,  but 
by  no  means  the  less  illustrious. 

If  we  include  the  two  priests  who  had  exercised 
the  functions  of  rectors  in  New  Orleans,  previously 


—  35  — 

to  the  erection  of  the  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church  in 
1724  or  1725,  we  obtain  the  following  complete  list  of 
the  rectors  of  the  ecclesiastical  parish  of  Xew  Or- 
leans, from  the  foundation  of  the  city  to  1788,  when 
the  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church  met  with  its  unex- 
pected fate : 

Father  Prothay  Bayer ,  1720,  a  Eecollet. 

Father  Joseph  de  Saint  Charles,  1721,  a  priest  of 
the  congregation  of  Saint  Theresa. 

The  Revs.  John  Matthew  of  Saint  Ann  and  J. 
Richard  performed  their  sacred  ministry  in  I^ew  Or- 
leans from  time  to  time  about  1720,  but  never  assumed 
the  title  of  rector.  They  signed  "  Rector  of  the  '  Vieux 
Biloxi.'  » 

Father  Bruno  de  Langres  was  one  of  the  first 
Capuchins  who  landed  in  New  Orleans.  He  signs  as 
rector  of  the  city  from  1722  until  1723,  till  the  arrival 
of  his  superior. 

Father  Raphael  de  Luxembourg,  first  Superior  of 
the  Capuchins,  and  rector  from  1723  to  his  death  in 
1735. 

Father  Matthias,  his  successor,  was  deprived  of 
his  functions  in  1739  and  was  succeeded  by 

Father  J'hilijtpe  de  Genevaux,  also  dismissed  in 
1741,  and  succeeded  by 

Father  Charles  de  Ramberviliiers,  a  holy  man,  who 
did  much  to  assure  and  maintain  the  concord  between 
the  Jesuits  and  the  Capuchins.  He  died  about  1746, 
and  left  as  his  successor 

Father  Dagobert  de  Longuy.  This  latter  quarreled 
again  with  the  Jesuits  and  was  succeeded  by 

Father  George  de  Fauqitemont  in  1753.     After  the 


—  36  — 

expulsion  of  the  Jesuits,  De  Fauquemont  was  sup- 
planted by 

Father  Hilaire  de  Genevaux,  who  arrived  from 
France  in  August,  1764.  The  following  year  he  was 
banished  by  the  Superior  Council,  and  for  the  sec- 
ond time, 

Father  Dagobert  de  Longuy  was  appointed  Supe- 
rior of  the  Capuchin  Fathers,  which  office  he  retained 
until  his  death  in  177C.  Following  him  came 

Father  Cyrillo  de  Barcelona,  who  himself  ap- 
pointed as  his  successor 

Father  Antonio  de  Sedella,  in  or  about  1785. 

The  latter  had  been  in  charge  but  a  few  years 
when  the  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church  perished  in  the 
great  conflagration  that  swept  a  large  area  of  the 
city,  on  March  21st,  1788.  So,  unexpectedly,  there 
was  erased  from  the  heart  of  the  city  this  church,  in 
which  during  more  than  sixty  years  the  people  of  New 
Orleans  came  to  worship.  Being  the  only  parochial 
church  of  the  city  in  colonial  days,  it  was  the  center 
of  the  social  and  religious  life. 

With  it  disappeared  the  last  witness  of  romantic 
and  chivalrous  Louisiana.  But  its  ashes  proved  im- 
mortal, as  less  than  six  years  after  the  awful  Good 
Friday  of  1788,  a  majestic  Cathedral  rose  on  the  very 
spot  whereupon  stood  the  '-Saint  Louis  Parish  Church 
of  New  Orleans." 


CHAPTER  II. 

DON  ANDRES  ALMONESTER  Y  ROXAS. 


A  NOBLE  BENEFACTOR  —  A  SOLEMN  DEDICATION  —  TROUBLES 
OF  A  GOLD-HEARTKD  MAN  —  "  Sic  TRANSIT  GLORIA 
MUXDI." 


The  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  of  New  Orleans  owes 
its  existence  to  the  generosity  of  Don  Andres  Al- 
rnonester  y  Roxas.  This  Spanish  nobleman  was  born 
at  Mayrena  del  Alcor,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Sevilla. 
His  parents,  Don  Miguel  Jose  Almonester  and  Donna 
Maria  Joanna  de  Estrada,  were  members  of  the  first 
families  of  Andalusia. 

A  royal  notary,  judge,  standard  bearer,  colonel  of 
the  militia,  knight  of  the  illustrious  Order  of  Carlos 
III,  all  these  titles  were  borne  by  him  with  the  utmost 
dignity.  His  memory,  however,  would  long  since  have 
been  forgotten  if  it  had  not  been  rescued  from  obli- 
vion by  his  everlasting  generosity. 

When  in  1779  a  terrible  hurricane  swept  away 
the  humble  hospital  which  a  simple  sailor  named 
Jean  Louis  founded  in  1737,  Almonester  had  another 
one  erected  at  a  cost  of  no  less  than  $114,000.  In 
1787,  the  same  generous  benefactor  donated  a  beau- 
tiful chapel  to  the  Ursuline  Convent  and  also  built 
schools  for  the  instruction  of  girls. 

A  few  years  later,  Almonester  acquainted  the 
councilmen  (they  were  at  this  time  administrators  of 
the  Church  property)  with  his  intention  of  rebuilding 
the  parish  church  that  had  just  been  destroyed  by 


—  39  — 

the  fire  of  March  27.  1788.  The  offer  was  gladly  ac- 
cepted and  the  work  of  reconstruction  was  com- 
menced in  the  spring'  of  the  following'  year. 

At  the  close  of  1794,  the  new  edifice  was  com- 
pleted, and  on  Christinas  day  dedicated  with  great 
pomp.  Don  Joaqnin  de  Portillo,  at  that  time  rector 
of  the  parish,  has  left  us  an  accurate  account  of 
these  ceremonies  which  we  rescued  lately  from  the 
dusty  archives  of  the  Cathedral.  This  document  ori- 
ginally framed  in  Spanish  remained  unpublished  and 
is  now  given  to  the  public  for  the  first  time : 

"NEW  SAINT  Louis  PAROCHIAL  CHURCH  OF  THE 
CITY  OF  NEW  ORLEANS. 

"  In  the'year  of  Our  Lord  1794,  in  the  twentieth  of  the  Pontificate  of 
our  Holy  Father,  Pope  Pins  VI,  and  in  the  seventh  year  of  the 
reign  of  His  Catholic  Majesty,  Don  Carlos  VI,  Don  Louis 
Penalver  y  Cardenas,  being  elected  first  Bishop  of  the  newly 
erected  See  of  Louisiana;  Baron  de  Carondelet,  Brigadier 
General  of  the  Royal  Army,  being  Governor  of  this  city  and 
province,  on  the  23rd  day  of  the  month  of  December,  the  new 
St.  Louis  Parochial  Church  of  this  city  teas  blessed. 

"  This  parochial  church,  which  became  the  Cathedral  Church  since 
the  erection  of  Louisiana  into  a  diocese  distinct  from  that  of 
Havana,  owes  its  existence  to  the  piety  and  zeal  of  Don  Andres 
Almonester  y  Eoxas,  a  native  of  the  city  of  Mayrena  del  Alcor, 
Kingdom  of  Sevilla,  in  Spain,  a  knight  of  the  illustrious  Order 
of  Carlos  III,  colonel  of  the  militia  of  Xew  Orleans  and  per- 
petual Itegidor  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

"  This  knight,  so  commendable  for  his  eminent  piety,  is  almost  u-ith- 
out  an  equal ;  the  three  churches  of  this  city  in  which  are  offered 
prayer  and  sacrifice  to  our  Lord  are  monuments  of  his  devotion 
and  piety.  At  his  own  expense  he  built  the  chapel  of  the  Ursu- 
line  Convent,  a  school  for  young  girls,  the  Charity  Hospital 
and  its  chapel,  and  also  donated  ground  to  serve  as  a  site  for  a 
lepers1  home. 


—  40  — 

tl  These  works  alone  would  suffice  to  make  his  name  illustrious  and 
gain  for  liim  Hie  esteem  and  friendship  of  all  his  fellow-citi- 
zens. Yet,  he  did  more.  A  fire  having  destroyed  the  parochial 
church  on  the  21st  of  March,  17S8,  the  grief  of  the  people  made 
him  conceive  the  vast  project,  worth}/  of  his  great  heart,  of  re- 
building this  sanctuary  at  his  own  expense.  The  edifice  was 
begun  in  March,  1789,  and,  in  spite  of  a  thousand  obstacles, 
Almonester  succeeded  within  fire  ijears  in  giring  it  the  perfec- 
tion, grandeur,  solidity  and  beauty  which  ire  note  admire. 

"Finally,  the  parish  being  unable,  for  want  of  funds,  to  decorate 
the  interior  in  a  manner  worthy  of  a  cathedral,  he  took  upon 
himself  the  necessary  expense  of  building  a  gallery  on  each  side 
of  the  nave  and  providing  a  beautiful  balustrade  for  the  choir, 
together  with  a  main  altar  on  which  the  workmen  were  still  en- 
gaged when  another  terrible  fire  broke  ont  on  the  Sth  of  Decem- 
ber and  destroyed  the  temporary  chapel.  The  Blessed  Sacrament 
was  carried  to  the  chapel  of  the  TJrsnlines  and  the  ornamenta- 
tion of  the  main  altar  hastily  completed  to  receive  our  Lord  so 
that  the  people  might  with  more  facility  assist  at  the  offices  of 
the  Church. 

11  The  new  edifice  was  blessed  on  the  day  and  in  the  year  before  men- 
tioned, in  the  pn  settee  of  the  ecclesiastical  tui'l  eiril  authorities 
of  this  city.  At  the  opening  of  the  ceremony,  our  illustrious 
benefactor  presented  the  keys  of  the  church  to  the,  (lorernor, 
who  then  handed  them  over  to  me.  Immediately  afterwards 
Don  Patricio  ll'alsh,  an  Irish  jiriest,  Chaplain  of  the  Royal 
Hospital,  Foreign  I'iear,  Ec<-lc*i«xUeal  .Judge  of  the  Province 
for  the  Bishop  of  Havana  (the  Bishop  of  Louisiana  having  not 
yet  taken  possession),  blessed  the  church.  The  Holy  Xaerijiee 
of  tlie  Mass  followed  the  blessing,  and  these  magnificent  cere- 
monies filled  with  joy  the  hearts  of  all  the  faithful. 

"  The  nej-t  day,  December  .'I,  the  clergy  assembled  in  the  monastery 
of  the  Crsnlines,  to  which  the  Blessed  Sacrament  had  been  car- 
ried after  the  fire  of  December  8.  The  (lurcrnor,  with  all  the 
notable  personages  of  the  city,  also  met  therein  :  a  pro<-essiou 
was  formed  and  the  Blessed  Sacrament  carried  icith  the  greatest 


Photo  B.  de  Villentroy.  From  an  Old  Painting. 

Dox  ANDRES  ALMONESTER  Y  ROXAS. 


—  42  — 

solemnity  to  the  new  church  in  ii-hich  I  sang  the  first  Mass  and 
preached  the  first  sermon. 

"  After  the  benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  the  ceremony  was. 
closed  by  the  chanting  of  the  '  Te  Denm'  for  the  greater  ylory  of 
God,  and  this  was  followed  by  loud  salutes  of  artillery.     It  is  '• 
then  tut  just  that  the  people  and  the  ministers  of  the  Church 
should  render  perpetual  gratitude  to  their  illustrious  and  noble 
benefactor,   Don  And  rex  Almonester  y  Roxas,  ami  il  in  to  pre-  ; 
rent  hix  irorkx  from  falling  into  ohlirion  that  I  mention  his 
name  here  'AD  I' EH  I>  KTUAM  REI  MEMORIAM: 

"December  30th,  1794. 

"DON   JOAQUIN    DR    POHTILLO." 


The  fame  of  Almonester  did  not  fail  to  give  offense 
to  some  less  fortunate  or  less  generous  than  lie.  Some 
misrepresented  his  intentions  and  suspected  him  of 
ambition ;  others  hindered  his  plans  and  did  not  even 
hesitate  to  dispute  his  right  to  the  control  of  the 
hospital  which  he  had  founded.  Governor  Miro,  his 
friend,  referred  the  matter  to  the  King,  who  speedily 
put  an  end  to  all  intrigues  and  rewarded  the  gener- 
osity of  Almonester  as  became  his  great  merit. 

The  King  wrote: 

"  Having  duly,  in  this  my  Council  of  the  Indies, 
considered  the  conflicting  reports  presented  to  me, 
Don  Andres  Almonester  is  to  be  relieved  from  the 
obligation  of  accounting  for  his  administrative  acts 
in  the  hospital  which  he  founded.  *  *  *  He  is 
authorized  to  occupy  the  most  prominent  seat  in  his 
church,  second  only  to  that  of  the  royal  Vice  Patron 
(the  Intendant  of  the  Province),  and  to  receive  the 
Kiss  of  Peace  (la  paz)  during  the  celebration  of 
Mass.  He  is  entitled  to  assistance  in  case  of  neces- 


Photo  B.  de  Villentroy.  From  an  Old  Painting 

RIGHT  KKV.  PEXALVEK  Y  CAISDEXAS. 


44 

sity.  and  in  order  that  these  ordinances  shall  be 
faithful iy  carried  out  according  to  my  royal  command, 
it  is  again  ordered  that  the  aforesaid  Almonester, 
whatever  may  betide,  is  to  be  given  loyal  support 
and  aid  in  whatever  he  may  undertake,  and,  so  as 
to  preclude  all  further  cause  of  complaint,  he  is  to 
be  treated  in  future  with  deferential  regard  as  one 
who  has  found  grace  near  my  royal  person  (grato  a 
me  real  persona)  by  the  achievement  of  great  works, 
by  drawing  so  generously  upon  his  own  resources 
for  the  construction  of  the  parochial  church,  the 
Ursuline  Convent,  the  Charity  Hospital  and  the  Gov- 
ernment Buildings  of  New  Orleans.  All  of  which 
and  of  his  free  will,  he  has  accomplished  in  honor  of 
his  religion  and  of  his  state,  and  for  the  edification 
and  encouragement  of  mankind. 

"Therefore,  I  do  hereby  order  and  command  the 
aforesaid  Governor  of -the  Province  of  Louisiana,  and 
also  the  Intcndant  of  my  Royal  Exchequer,  together 
with  the  judges  and  justices  of  the  above  mentioned 
province  to  keep,  comply  with,  and  execute  this,  my 
royal  decree,  without  contravening  it,  for  such  is  my 
royal  will. 

"Yo  EL  KEY." 

Given  at  San  Iltlefouso,  August  14tli,  1794. 


Nothing  is  more  fleeting  than  glory.  In  the 
same  registers  in  which  Don  Joaquin  de  Portillo  had 
written,  in  171)4,  the  dithyrambic  praise  of  the 
founder  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral,  Don  Perez  re- 
corded, four  years  later,  the  death  of  the  generous 
nobleman. 


X  i" 

' 


//.-     ,7  /fni    J,,t    '/•;  .-fa"  f-l**.->>\ 
•'.-  •;'-r/>//<    -y  n'a    Lnfitf'Vrrtri 
*.?r  ,  ''      y    • '>  I^A  --sing/ SStit/sr'c'J'rij 
;'t-t  i  -eJetfUf, 


Photo  C.  M.  C.  Cathedral  Archives. 

FAC  SIMILE  OF  THK  FIRST  SALE  OF  THE  CATHEDRAL'S  PEWS. 


—  46  — 

Don  Andres  Almonester  y  Roxas  had  died  so  sud- 
denly tli.it  it  was  impossible  to  even  administer  to 
him  the  last  sacraments  of  the  Church. 

His  corpse  was  solemnly  lowered  under  the  altar 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  in  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral. 

A  marble  slab  in  the  pavement  marks  the  place 
of  his  tomb  and  bears  his  coat  of-arms  together  with 
the  record  of  his  life,  titles  and  services.  The  carved 
letters  are  still  visible,  although  somewhat  effaced 
by  the  ceaseless  tread  of  several  generations.  The 
inscription  written  in  Spanish  is  generally  translated 
as  follows: 

HERE  LIE  THE  REMAINS 

OF 
DON  ANDRES  ALMONKSTER  Y  ROXAS 

A  NATIVE  OF  MAYRENA, 

IN  THE  KINGDOM  OF  ANDALUSIA. 

HK  DIED  IN  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  ORLEANS, 

ON  THE  26TH  DAY  OF  APRIL,  1708, 

BEING  73  YEARS  OF  AGK. 
A  KNIGHT  OF  THE  ROYAL  AND  DISTINGUISHED 

ORDER  OF  CHARLES  III, 

COLONEL  OF  THE  MILITIA  OF  THIS  DEPARTMENT, 

ALDERMAN  AND  ROYAL  LIEUTENANT  OF  THIS  CORPORATION, 

FOUNDER  AND  DONOR  OF  THIS  HOLY  CATHEDRAL, 

FOUNDER  OF  THE  ROYAL  HOSPITAL  OF  ST. 

CHARLES  AND  OF  ITS  CHURCH, 

FOUNDER  OF  THE  HOSPITAL  FOR  LEPERS, 

FOUNDER  OF  THE  URSULINES  CONVENT, 

FOUNDER  OF  TIIK  SCHOOL  FOR  THE  EDUCATION  OF  GIRLS, 

FOUNDER  OF  THE  COURT  HOUSE, 
AM,  OF  WHICH  HE  HAD  BUILT  AT  His  OWN  EXPENSE 

IN  THIS  CITY. 
REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE. 


—  47  — 

The  city  has  long-  since  forgotten  the  man  whose 
name  was  synonymous  with  generosity.  It  is  a  sad 
fact  that  the  founder  of  the  Cabildo  and  of  our  great 
Charity  Hospital,  the  first  patron  of  female  education 
in  the  State,  is  not  only  seldom  spoken  of,  but  the 
memory  of  his  benefits  has  not  even  been  perpetuated 
by  naming  a  street  in  his  honor.  The  church  alone 
still  piously  cherishes  the  memory  of  her  benefactor, 
and,  from  time  to  time,  the  tolling  of  her  bells  pro- 
claims through  the  ages  her  eternal  gratitude. 


>*< 


CHAPTER   III. 

PERE   ANTOINK. 


A  MrC'II  l)l  1JATKD  CHARACTER —  THK  TRIBUNAL  OF  THK  HOLY 
INQUISITION"  IN  LOUISIANA  —  HUMILITY  AND  CHARITY 
OF  PKRK  ANTOINK  —  A  POMPOUS  FUNERAL. 


The  Saint  Louis  Cathedral,  so  nobly  erected  and 
adorned  by  Don  Andres  Alinonester  y  Koxas,  was 
destined  to  be  administered  during  the  first  thirty 
years  of  its  existence  by  a  man  who  more  than  all 
others  impressed  his  individuality  upon  these  times 
and  whose  name,  to  this  day,  is  mentioned  with  ven- 
eration and  love  throughout  thje  old  French  section. 

Perhaps  the  memory  and  the  deeds  of  no  man 
have  been  more  variously  discussed,  analyzed,  criti- 
cised or  eulogized  th;m  that  of  Father  Antoine. 


l  W 

10   

Many  have  been  the  disputes  over  the  character 
of  this  wonderful  priest,  for  wonderful  was  he  to 
have  left  a  name  which,  despite  all  criticisms,  stands 
out  as  one  of  the  sweetest,  truest  and  most  benevo- 
lent in  the  annals  of  Old  Xew  Orleans. 

By  some  he  is  celebrated  as  a  saint,  a  rival  of 
the  hermits  of  Thebai's,  a  gold  hearted  man  whose 
charity  was  only  equaled  by  his  profound  humility. 
Others  cannot  find  words  harsh  enough  with  which 
to  brand  his  alleged  ignorance  and  ambition.  But 
by  a  faithful  comparison  of  the  traditions  concerning 
Father  Antoine  with  the  old  records  of  the  Cathe- 
dral archives,  which  have  never  yet  been  published, 
it  seems  that  Father  Antoine  deserved  neither  the 
•great  indignities  with  which  some  have  sought  to 
besmirch  his  memory,  nor  the  excessive  honor  and 
praise  with  which  others  have  crowned  him. 

This  man,  a  monk  of  the  Capuchin  Order,  was 
Antoine  Ildefonso  Moreno  y  Ar/e,  born  on  the  18th 
of  November,  1748,  at  Sedella.  in  *the  Kingdom  of 
Grenada,  and  more  familiarly  known  as  "  Pere  An- 
toine." In  his  early  youth  he  entered  the  religious 
order  of  the  Capuchins,  and  upon  completing  his 
studies  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  in  Divinity, 
a  striking  proof  of  the  fact  that  he  was  a  man  of 
profound  learning  and  not  the  illiterate  product  of 
ignorance  rhat  some  claimed  him  to  be. 

In  1771),  Father  Antoine.  in  company  with  a  few 
others  of  his  order,  landed  in  New  Orleans.  These 
Capuchins  came  to  fill  the  vacancies  caused  by  the 
death  or  the  departure  of  the  French  monks  of  their 
order.  That  purpose  was  not  only  religions,  but 
educational;  the  country  being  since  ten  years  a 


—  49  — 

colony  of  Spain,  they  did  great  work  in  spreading 
the  Spanish  language  and  a  knowledge  of  Spanish 
customs. 

Father  Autoine's  zeal  and  brilliant  talents 
brought  him  into  prominence,  and  a  few  years  after 
his  landing  he  became  rector  of  the  Saint  Louis 
Church  of  Xew  Orleans,  at  this  time  the  only  parish 
of  the  city  and  the  most  important  of  the  twelve  or 
fifteen  churches  scattered  throughout  Louisiana. 

The  rectorship  of  Saint  Louis  Church,  which 
would  seem  so  desirable,  did  not  prove  a  bed  of  roses 
for  Father  Antoine.  All  sorts  of  troubles  and  dis- 
putes arose,  and  for  many  years  Father  Antoine 
fought  his  battles.  He  never  knew  from  day  to  day 
what  the  morrow  would  bring  forth,  and  it  was  only 
during  the  last  years  of  his  life  that  he  breathed 
peacefully,  entirely  absorbed  in  works  of  charity 
and  devotion  to  his  flock. 


In  the  first  place,  Father  Antoine  had  to  deal 
with  the  civil  authorities  on  account  of  the  Inquisi- 
tion, of  which  he  had  been  appointed  the  Commis- 
sary on  the'oth  of  December,  1788.  His  appointment 
as  head  of  the  Holy  Inquisition  in  Louisiana  caused 
him  so  much  anxiety  and  sorrow  that  he  kept  it 
secret,  and  it  was  only  in  the  beginning  of  the  follow- 
ing year  that  he  concluded  to  apprise  Governor 
Miro  of  the  fact  by  placing  before  him  his  commission 
and  instructions,  which  he  had  received  from  Spain. 

"  It  is  an  historical  fact,"  says  Mr.  H.  C.  Castella- 
nos,  in  his  <New  Orleans  As  It  Was,'  "that  wherever 
Spain  exercised  dominion,  the  peculiar  institutions  of 


—  50  — 

the  mother  country  were  engrafted  upon  the  colony. 
So,  by  the  mere  transfer  of  Louisiana  from  France  to 
Spain,  the  Inquisition  became  ipso  facto  incorporated 
into  its  political  machinery,  and  is  extensively  spoken 
of  in  the  '  Bando  de  Gobierno,'  issued  by  O'Reilly 
on  the  25th  of  November,  17G9. 

"The  principal  object  of  the  institution  of  the  tri- 
bunal of  the  'Santa  Herinandad,'  being  to  repress  dis- 
order and  to  prevent  the  robberies  and  assassinations 
committed  in  unfrequented  places  by  vagabonds  and 
delinquents  who  conceal  themselves  in  the  woods, 
from  which  they  sally  forth  and  attack  travelers  and 
the  neighboring  inhabitants,  the  Alcade  Mayor  Pro- 
vincial, shall  assemble  a  sufficient  number  of  brothers 
of  the  Santa  Hermandad  to  clear  his  jurisdiction  of 
the  perpetrators  of  such  evil  deeds,  by  pursuing  them 
with  spirit,  seizing  or  putting  them  to  death." 

Now  if  we  bear  in  mind  that  Father  Antoine 
landed  in  New  Orleans  in  1779,  the  charge  upon  him 
of  introducing  the  Inquisition  falls  naturally  to  the 
ground.  The  Inquisition  preceded  Father  Antoine  in 
Louisiana  by  ten  years,  and,  far  from  being  the 
originator  of  that  so  much  hated  institution,  he  has 
been  its  only  victim,  as  this  part  of  the  governmental 
machinery  remained  merely  nominal  and  was  gen- 
erally ignored  by  the  people.  > 

Still,  to  give  effect  to  the  mission  entrusted  to 
his  fidelity,  Father  Antoine  requested  the  Governor 
to  furnish  him  with  a  posse,  as  the  secular  arm  was 
necessary  to  enforce  the  law,  and  there  began  a  most 
serious  entanglement  of  affairs,  which  to  this  day 
remains  in  many  ways  unexplained,  and  which  has 
been  often  misjudged  and  misunderstood.  A  simple, 


Photo  B.  de  Villentroy.  From  an  Old  Painting. 

PERE  ANTOINB  DE  SEDEKLA. 


—  52  — 

manly  refusal  would  have  sufficed  to  strike  the  pro- 
ceeding with,  nullity,  but  the  Governor  followed  a 
different  course.  He  received  the  friar  with  apparent 
cordiality,  promised  to  grant  him  his  request,  while  at 
the  very  time  he  was  planning  the  ruin  of  his  unsus- 
pecting countryman.  Within  twenty-four  hours  after 
the  interview  a  platoon  of  soldiers  filed  into  the  bed- 
room of  Father  Antoine  and  forcibly  carried  him 
out  to  a  ship  about  to  sail  for  Cadiz.  Governor 
Miro,  in  a  special  report  to  the  Court  of  Spain,  dated 
June  3,  1789,  explained  the  whole  affair  as  follows: 
"When  I  read  the  communication  of  that  Capuchin  I 
shuddered.  The  mere  mention  of  the  Inquisition  ut- 
tered in  New  Orleans  would  be  sufficient  not  only  to 
check  immigration,  which  is  successfully  progressing, 
but  would  also  be  capable  of  driving  away  those  who 
have  recently  come,  and  I  even  fear  that,  in  spite  of 
my  having  sent  out  of  the  country  Father  Sedella,  the 
most  frightful  consequences  may  ensue  from  the  mere 
suspicion  of  the  cause  of  his  dismissal." 

These  are  the  facts  of  the  whole  transaction,  and 
it  is  upon  them  that  some  writers  do  not  hesitate  to 
lay  on  Father  Antoine  this  most  hideous  accusation 
of  having  introduced  the  Inquisition  in  Louisiana. 
This  charge,  which  is  a  mere  calumny,  needed  only 
this  plain  statement  of  facts  to  be  utterly  refuted. 


Father  Antoine  came  back  to  New  Orleans  in  the 
spring  of  1791,  after  an  absence  of  two  years,  with 
the  title  of  Honorary  Preacher  to  His  Most  Catholic 
Majesty,  the  King  of  Spain.  For  the  ten  years  fol- 
lowing we  lose  sight  of  this  marvelous  character,  and 


-  53  - 

the  quiet  and  unobtrusive  life  Le  must  have  led  is  the 
best  proof  of  how  little  thought  he  had  of  ever  forc- 
ing the  Inquisition  in  Louisiana. 

Many  years  have  passed,  and  the  calm,  deliberate 
recital  of  historical  facts  gleaned  from  the  most  relia- 
ble authorities  brings  out  the  character  of  Father 
Antoine  in  its  true  light. 

If  they  do  not  entirely  exonerate  him  from  hav- 
ing taken  an  active  part  in  the  sad  dissentions  of  his 
time,  if  a  dispassionate  reader  could  expect  a  differ- 
ent line  of  conduct  from  a  man  who  had  pledged  his 
life  to  obedience  and  self-denial,  it  would  be  never- 
theless unjust  to  lay  upon  him  any  blame.  Whoso- 
ever says  that  he  was  an  ambitious  man  for  whom 
everything  was  a  means  towards  self -advancement, 
proves  by  this  imputation  only  a  sad  ignorance  of  the 
private  life  of  Father  Antoine. 

It  would  not  indeed  be  an  easy  task  to  reconcile 
these  charges  with  Father  Antoiue's  proverbial  repu- 
tation for  asceticism  and  his  no  less  admirable  char- 
ity and,  above  all,  with  the  deep  veneration  with 
which  even  now  his  memory  is  regarded.  He  lived 
like  an  anchorite,  though  dwelling  in  the  central  part 
of  the  city.  In  the  rear  of  the  old  Saint  Louis  Ca- 
thedral he  built  himself  a  simple  hermitage.  It  was 
a  hut  of  planks  and  boughs,  much  more  uncomforta- 
ble than  a  dog  kennel,  and  much  more  exposed  to 
weather  than  a  cow  shed.  It  had  no  furniture  but  a 
bed,  made  of  two  hard  boards,  a  stool  and  a  holy 
water  font.  But  here  the  good  priest  slept  and  ate 
and  prayed;  blessing  God  alike  whether  it  rained  or 
froze.  Although  at  his  death  he  left  little  or  nothing, 
his  income  must  certainly  have  been  large;  for  he 


—  54  — 

never  visited  a  scene  of  birth,  of  marriage,  or  of 
death,  without  receiving'  some  gift;  and  his  daily 
visits  were  many.  His  charity,  however,  was  greater 
than  his  income;  and  his  purse,  like  that  of  the  fairy 
tale,  was  being  forever  emptied,  though  fresh  gold 
always  glittered  there  in  the  place  of  that  taken  out. 
This  purse,  tradition  says,  was  a  great  bag  tilled  with, 
clinking  coin  and  carried  at  the  girdle.  Whenever 
Father  Antonio  appeared  upon  the  street  the  chil- 
dren of  the  French  quarter  followed  after  him.  They 
would  always  kneel  down  beside  him  in  the  mud 
to  ask  for  his  blessing  when  opportunity  offered,  and 
they  never  failed  to  demand  that  a  lagniappe,  (*)  in 
the  shape  of  a  small  coin,  be  thrown  in  with  the  bless- 
ing. It  is  probable  that  they  cared  much  more  for 
the  lagniappe  than  they  did  for  the  blessing;  but  the 
good  father  never  refused  either. 

Fully  occupied  as  he  was  with  his  ministry  and 
charitable  works,  he  never  cared  for  the  temporal  ad- 
ministration of  the  parish  affairs.  This  management 
remained  entrusted  to  the  wardens,  and  Father  An- 
toine  left  them  such  freedom  in  the  financial  adminis- 
tration that  they  finally  believed  that  they  were  the 
true  owners  of  the  church  properties,  which  they 
could  dispose  of  according  to  their  own  will  and 
pleasure. 

The  man  who  cared  so  little  for  worldly  goods 
was  equally  disinterested  as  regards  public  honors.  In 


(*)  Lagniappe:  A  Avord  of  Spanish  patois  signifying  a  bonus, 
something  in  kind  given  by  storekeepers  in  the  French 
quarter  after  purchasing  articles.  Laguiappe  consisted  of 
candy  or  pecans,  and  in  the  case  of  Father  Antoine  it  might 
have  been  a  few  cents. 


the  warden's  minutes  we  read  a  letter  from  Father  An- 
toine  to  the  Bishop  of  Baltimore,  which  acquaints  us 
with  an  event  which  up  to  now  has  remained  unknown. 
Having  hoard  that  some  members  of  the  clergy  and 
laity  had  applied  to  Home  in  order  to  have  him  ap- 
pointed Bishop  of  Louisiana,  Father  Antoine  declared 
to  the  Bishop  of  Baltimore  that  he  would  not  con- 
sider for  a  moment  such  a  proposition,  that  he  was 
unworthy  of  such  an  honor,  and  too  old  to  do  any 
good.  Consequently  he  would  be  very  grateful  to  the 
Bishop  if  he  were  to  cut  short  any  further  efforts  in 
that  direction. 

Father  Antoine  remained  until  his  death  what 
he  wished  to  be:  a  monk  devoted  to  charity,  chastity 
and  obedience.  In  his  cabin  he  was  more  influential 
than  the  constituted  authorities  of  the  government, 
richer  than  those  who  extended  to  him  their  chari- 
ties, and  as  such  loved  by  his  flock  as  the  most  zeal- 
ous priest  could  wish  to  be. 

He  died  on  the  22d  of  January,  1829,  and  his 
burial  was  more  of  a  triumph  than  of  a  funeral. 


The  body  of  this  revered  patriarch,  says  the 
Louisiana  Advertiser,  the  spiritual  father  of  the 
past  and  the  present  generation,  remained  exposed 
in  the  building  where  the  Catholic  vestry  holds  its 
meetings,  Orleans  street,  from  Monday,  the  day  of 
his  decease,  till  yesterday,  when  it  was  transferred  to 
the  church.  During  that  time,  a  crowd  of  people  of 
all  ages,  sexes  and  colors  flocked  to  pay  their  last 
tribute  of  respect  to  him,  whom,  when  alive,  they 
regarded  as  their  guide,  their  father  and  friend. 


—  56  — 

Father  Antoine's  features  liad  preserved  their 
mild  and  placid  expression.  Death  had  dealt  gently 
with  him  and  laid  a  soft  hand  upon  him.  He  seemed 
like  a  saint  rapt  in  holy  meditation,  nothing  in 
his  countenance  indicating  the  ravages  of  sickness 
and  the  approach  of  decay.  The  silent  tears,  the 
sob  of  anguish,  the  prayer  of  the  good,  the  blessing 
of  the  poor  attested  that  a  Avhole  life  devoted  to 
deeds  of  charity  and  virtue  had  received  its  only  ap- 
propriate earthly  recompense  —  the  sincere  regrets 
of  a  grateful  people. 

Early  on  Thursday  morning  the  firing  of  a  can- 
non announced  that  his  venerable  remains  were  about 
to  be  removed  to  their  last  abode.  Both  Houses  of 
the  Legislature,  in  accordance  with  public  sentiment, 
had  resolved  to  adjourn  for  that  day  and  to  assist 
at  the  interment.  The  Court  of  Justice,  on  the 
motion  of  Mr.  Livingston,  the  oldest  member  of  the 
bar,  had  adopted  a  similar  determination.  The  City 
Council  also  had  passed  the  resolution  of  Mr.  Laverty, 
declaring  that  its  members  would  join  the  procession 
and  wear  crepe  for  thirty  days. 

The  Cathedral  was  dressed  in  the  insignia  of 
deep  mourning.  A  splendid  catafalque,  surmounted 
with  lofty  white  feathers,  stood  on  the  right.  Op- 
posite the  main  altar  an  elevated  platform  had  been 
erected,  surrounded  with  steps  and  covered  with 
black  cloth.  On  the  angles  of  the  structure  and  on 
all  the  steps,  lighted  tapers  were  placed.  On  the 
right,  under  the  altar  consecrated  to  Saint  Francis, 
at  whose  shrine  the  deceased  had  daily  for  half  a 
century  paid  his  devotions,  the  grave,  destined  to  re- 
ceive whatever  of  him  was  mortal,  stood  open. 


—  57  — 

The  Louisiana  Legion  and  the  Lafayette  Riflemen 
were  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  church,  the  main 
portal  of  which  was  hung  with  black  drapery,  sur- 
mounted with  the  following  inscription,  admirable 
alike  for  its  conciseness,  its  energy  of  expression  and 
the  purity  of  its  Latin  : 


t 


PATRI 
ANTONIO  DE  SEDELLA 

SACM. 

LONGCEVUS  QUAMVIS  OCCUBUERIS 

INGENS  TAMEN  NOBIS 

Tui  DESIDERIUM 

RELIQTJISTI. 

which  we  attempted  to  translate  as  follows : 

SACRED  TO 

FATHER  ANTONIO  DE  SEDELLA. 

ALTHOUGH  THOU  HAST  FALLEN  FULL  OF  YEARS, 

YET  THOU  HAST  LEFT  OUR  HEARTS 

FILLED  WITH  MIGHTY 

SORROW. 

The  executive  officers  of  the  State,  the  members 
of  the  Legislature,  the  judges,  the  members  of  the 
City  Council,  the  municipal  officers,  the  gentlemen 
of  the  bar,  the  foreign  consuls,  and  a  vast  multi- 
tude of  citizens  of  all  denominations  filled  the 
church  to  overflowing.  Father  Moni,  the  successor 


—  58  — 

of  the  deceased  in  bis  clerical  functions  and  in 
the  affection  of  bis  flock,  officiated  at  the  altar,  sur- 
rounded by  tbe  wbole  body  of  tbe  Catbolic  clergy  of 
this  and  of  the  neighboring  parishes.  The  solemn 
effect  of  the  high  mass  on  tbe  crowd  was  enhanced 
by  the  grief  depicted  on  the  visages  of  the  priests 
and  the  choristers,  and  every  heart  seemed  to  respond 
to  the  mournfully  touching  strains  of  the  music 
poured  forth  from  tbe  galleries  above. 

When  the  mass  was  finished  and  tbe  music 
paused,  Father  Manhault  ascended  the  pulpit.  He 
was  eloquent  without  attempting  to  be  so;  for  all 
that  he  said  went  to  the  heart  of  his  hearers;  he 
was  the  mere  interpreter  of  every  one's  thoughts ; 
he  did  not  panegyrise,  he  bad  nothing  to  extenuate, 
nothing  to  palliate  ;  he  drew  a  faithful  picture  of  an 
original  impressed  on  every  mind ;  he  spoke  of  the 
virtues  of  the  departed,  of  his  humanity,  of  his  in- 
dulgences to  others,  his  severity  to  himself,  of  his 
universal  good  will  towards  men.  and  when  he  con- 
cluded by  entreating  all  present  to  comply  with  the 
last  request  of  the  dying  saint,  "  that  all  his  flock 
should  join  in  prayer  that  his  soul  might  soon  rest  in 
bliss,"  we  are  pursuaded  that  fervent  aspirations  to 
that  effect  went  forth  to  the  Throne  of  Grace  from 
the  whole  assembled  multitude. 

The  coffin  containing  the  corpse  was  borne  off  on 
the  shoulders  of  four  young  men  surrounded  by  eight 
pall  bearers,  friends  of  the  deceased,  and  tbe  proces- 
sion moved  from  the  church  in  the  following  order 


—  59  — 

The  Legion, 
The  Catholic  Clergy, 

The  Corpse, 
Physicians  of  the  Deceased, 

The  Church  Wardens, 

The  Governor  and  Secretary  of  State, 

The  President  and  Members  of  the  Senate, 

The  Speaker  and  Members  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 

The  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court, 

The  Judges  of  the  District,  Criminal  and  Parish  Courts, 
The  Judges  of  the  City  Court, 

Foreign  Consuls, 

The  Mayor  and  Recorder, 

The  Members  of  the  City  Council, 

Clergy  of  Different  Denominations, 

Members  of  the  Bar, 

Citizens. 

It  proceeded  down  Conde  street  to  Main  street, 
down  Main  to  Royal,  up  Royal  to  St.  Louis,  thence 
to  Ghartres  street,  and  down  Chartres  to  the  Cathe  - 
dral,  where  two  discourses  were  pronounced  in  com- 
memoration of  the  virtues  of  the  deceased,  one  in  the 
Spanish,  the  other  in  the  English  language. 

The  time  now  arrived  for  depositing  beneath  the 
sod  the  earthly  envelope  of  the  departed  spirit. 
Here  ends  our  task.  It  is  beyond  our  power  to  de- 
scribe the  closing  scene,  nor  have  we  a  language  to 
express  the  deep  and  solemn  sensations  experienced 
by  all  around  when  the  earth  was  thrown  over  what 
had  so  lately  been  animated  by  as  pure  a  soul  as 
ever  dwelt  in  a  human  body. 

These  words  remain  the  verdict  of  history  as 
regards  Father  Antoine,  and  time  brought  to  his 
glorious  memory  the  last  vindication.  On  the  29th 


-  60  — 

of  November,  1885,  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  was 
adorned  as  on  a  feast  day,  and  the  centenary  of  the 
appointment  of  Father  Antoine  de  Sedella  to  the 
Saint  Louis  Parish  Church  of  New  Orleans  was  pom- 
pously celebrated  in  presence  of  many  bishops  and  of 
the  diplomatic  corps.  The  Eev.  T.  Pla  pronounced  the 
panegyric  of  the  deceased,  and  recalled  from  the  ages 
the  memory  of  "Pere  Antoine,"  to  whom  he  did  not 
fear  to  apply  these  words  of  the  Psalmist:  "The 
memory  of  the  just  shall  be  in  everlasting  remem- 
brance, and  the  words  of  evil-doers  shall  not  hurt 
him." 


PART  II. 

THE   SAINT   LOUIS 
CATHEDRAL. 


CHAPTEE   I. 


IN   COMING  DOWN  A  CENTURY. 


The  Saint  Louis  Cathedral,  erected  by  Don  An- 
dres Almonqster  y  Eoxas,  and  since  its  very  begin- 
ning made  famous  by  its  first  rector,  Father  Antoine, 
did  not  pass  through  a  century  without  feeling  the 
destructive  touch  of  time,  nor  the  improving  hand  of 
man. 

Towards  1814,  under  the  direction  of  architect 
Laborde,  its  side  towers  were  crowned  with  low 
spires  and  the  top  of  its  facade  ornamented  with  four 
gigantic  firecones  of  granite.  Ten  years  later  the 
architect  Le  Kiche  erected  a  belfry  in  the  center  of 
the  facade,  to  match  with  the  side  towers. 

Thus  thoroughly  completed,  the  Cathedral  re- 
mained nearly  intact  until  1850.  A  city  guide,  issued 
in  1845,  gives  the  following  description  of  this  edifice 
after  its  completion:  "The  architecture  of  the  Cathe- 
dral is  by  no  means  pure,  but  is  not  wanting  in  effect 
on  this  account.  The  lower  story  is  of  the  rustic 
order,  flanked  at  each  of  the  front  angles  by  hexag- 
onal towers  and  adorned  with  pilasters  of  plain  ma- 
sonry and  two  clustered  tuscan  columns  on  either 
side  of  the  main  entrance.  The  second  story  of  the 
front  has  the  same  general  appearance  as  the  lower 
one,  but  is  of  the  Horn  an  Doric  order.  On  the  apex 
of  its  pediment  rises  the  principal  turret,  built  in 
two  parts;  a  lower  part,  square,  about  twenty  feet  in 
height,  with  circular  apertures  on  each  side,  and  the 


—  64  — 


upper  part  hexagonal,  used  as  a  belfry.  This  belfry 
became  the  city  watch  tower  at  the  request  of  the 
Mayor,  and  each  night  a  sentinel  was  stationed  with- 
in to  give  the  alarm  in  case  of  fire." 


CHAPTER   II. 


A  "TE   DEUM"  OF   VICTORY. 


The  most  elaborate  and  grandiose  ceremony  ever, 
held  in  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  before  its  partial 
reconstruction,  in  1850,  was  a  solemn  Thanksgiving, 
celebrated  on  the  23d  of  January,  1815,  in  honor  of 
the  glorious  victory  of  General  Jackson  over  the 
British  forces  of  General  Pakenham.  We  quote  from 
Gayarre" : 

"All  the  citizens,  whatever  their  religious  creed 
was,  joined  their  exertions  to  make  that  festival  as 
impressive  as  it  was  in  their  power.  In  front  of  the 
Cathedral,  in  the  middle  of  that  square  which  is  now 
known  as  Jackson  Square,  and  where  the  equestrian 
statue  of  the  hero  commemorates  his  fame  and  the 
gratitude  of  Louisiana,  a  triumphal  arch  was  tempo- 
rarily erected.  It  was  supported  by  six  columns. 
On  the  right  was  a  young  woman  with  the  attributes 
of  Justice,  which  she  represented,  and  another,  on 
the  left,  personated  the  Goddess  of  Liberty.  Under 
the  arch,  two  beautiful  boys,  looking  as  though  they 
were  angels  dropped  from  heaven  on  the  pedestals  on 


—  G6  — 

which  they  stood,  held,  each  in  his  tiny  hand,  a  crown 
of  laurels.  From  the  arch  to  the  church,  at  proper 
intervals,  were  ranged  young  ladies  representing  the 
different  States  and  Territories  of  the  American 
Union.  They  were  all  dressed  in  white,  and  covered 
•with  transparent  veils.  A  silver  star  glittered  on 
their  foreheads.  Each  one  held  in  her  right  hand  a 
flag  on  which  was  inscribed  the  name  of  the  State 
she  represented,  and  in  her  left  a  basket  of  flowers 
trimmed  with  blue  ribbons.  Behind  each  was  a 
shield  appended  to  a  lance  stuck  in  the  ground,  and 
inscribed  with  the  name  of  a  State  or  a  Territory. 
These  shields  were  linked  together  with  verdant  fes- 
toons, and  formed  a  kind  of  lane  from  the  triumphant 
arch  to  the  gray  towers  of  the  time  honored  Cathe- 
dral. In  the  rear  on  both  sides,  and  extending  from 
the  entrance  of  the  square,  which  faced  the  river  to 
the  church,  was  a  glittering  avenue  of  bayonets 
formed  by  the  uniformed  companies  of  Plaudit's  Bat- 
talion, and  back  of  them,  in  every  direction,  surged 
and  undulated  like  a  sea  of  human  beings  the  im- 
mense multitude  assembled  to  witness  the  pageantry 
of  the  day. 

"  The  boom  of  artillery  and  a  burst  of  military 
music  announced  the  approach  of  the  hero.  The  air 
was  rent  with  acclamations,  and  the  hands  of  beauty 
waved  handkerchiefs  and  flags  from  the  adjacent 
buildings,  which  were  crowded  with  eager  spectators. 
As  General  Jackson  passed  under  the  triumphal  arch 
he  was  crowned  by  the  two  youthful  genii,  who  ex- 
pected him  on  their  pedestals,  and  was  congratulated 
in  an  address  delivered  by  the  girl  who  personated 
the  State  of  Louisiana.  Then,  as  he  proceeded  to  the 


—  67  — 


church,  the  other  States  and  Territories  gracefully 
bowed  their  heads  to  him,  each  waving  her  flag,  and 
strewing  his  path  with  flowers.  At  the  door  of  the 
Cathedral  he  met 
Abbe"  Dubourg  with 
all  his  clergy.  That 
venerable  personage 
addressed  him  in 
these  terms,  so  well 
suited  to  the  occa- 
sion and  to  the  sa- 
cred character  of 
the  ceremony : 
1  '"General:  Whilst 
the  State  of  Louisi- 
ana, in  the  joyful 
transports  of  her 
gratitude,  hails  you 
as  her  deliverer  and 
the  asserter  of  her 
menaced  liberties ; 

whilst  grateful  America,  so  lately  wrapped  up  in 
anxious  suspense  on  the  fate  of  this  important  city, 
the  emporium  of  the  wealth  of  one-half  of  her  terri- 
tory, and  the  true  bulwark  of  her  independence,  is  now 
re-echoing  from  shore  to  shore  your  splendid  achieve- 
ments, and  preparing  to  inscribe  your  name  on  her  im- 
mortal rolls  among  those  of  her  Washingtons  ;  whilst 
history,  poetry,  and  the  monumental  arts  will  vie  in 
consigning  to  the  admiration  of  the  latest  posterity 
a  triumph  perhaps  unparalleled  in  their  records ; 
whilst  thus  raised  by  universal  acclamation  to  the 
very  pinnacle  of  fame,  and  surrounded  with  asceud- 


Photo  C.  M.  C.  From  an  Old  Painting. 

ABBE  GCILLAUME  V.  DUBOURG. 


—  68  — 

ing  clouds  of  incense,  how  easy  it  bad  been  for  you, 
General,  to  forget  the  Prime  Mover  of  your  wonderful 
success,  and  to  assume  to  yourself  a  praise  which 
must  essentially  return  to  that  exalted  source  whence 
every  sort  of  merit  is  derived !  But,  better  ac- 
quainted with  the  nature  of  true  glory,  and  justly 
placing  the  summit  of  your  ambition  in  approving 
yourself  the  worthy  instrument  of  Heaven's  merciful 
designs,  the  first  impulse  of  your  religious  heart  was 
to  acknowledge  the  signal  interposition  of  Providence; 
your  first  step  is  a  solemn  display  of  your  humble 
sense  of  His  favors. 

" '  Still  agitated  at  the  rememberance  of  those 
dreadful  agonies  from  which  we  have  been  so  mira- 
culously rescued,  it  is  our  duty  also  to  acknowledge 
that  the  Almighty  has  truly  had  the  principal  hand 
in  our  deliverance,  and  to  follow  you,  General,  in  at- 
tributing to  His  infinite  goodness  the  homage  of  our 
unfeigned  gratitude.  Let  the  infatuated  votary  of 
a  blind  chance  deride  our  credulous  simplicity;  let 
the  cold-hearted  atheist  look  up  for  the  explanation 
of  such  important  events  to  the  mere  concatenation 
of  human  causes;  to  us  the  whole  universe  is  loud  in 
proclaiming  a  Supreme  Ruler,  who,  as  he  holds  the 
hearts  of  man  in  his  hands,  holds  also  the  thread  of 
all  contingent  occurrences.  *  Whatever  be  His  inter- 
mediate agents,"  says  an  illustrious  prelate,  "still  on 
the  secret  orders  of  His  all-ruling  providence  depend 
the  rise  and  prosperity,  as  well  as  the  decline  and 
downfall  of  empires.  From  His  lofty  throne  above 
He  moves  every  scene  below,  now  curbing,  now  lett  ing- 
loose  the  passions  of  men;  now  infusing  His  own 
wisdom  into  the  leaders  of  nations;  now  confounding 


—  69  — 

their  boasted  prudence,  and  spreading1  upon  their 
councils  a  spirit  of  intoxication,  and  thus  executing 
his  uncontrollable  judgments  mi  the  sons  of  men  ac- 
cording to  the  dictates  of  His  own  unerring  justice." 
"  '  To  him,  therefore,  our  most  fervent  thanks  are 
due  for  our  late  unexpected  rescue,  and  it  is  Him  we 
chiefly  intend  to  praise,  when  considering  you,  Gen- 
eral, as  the  man  of  his  right  hand,  whom  he  has  taken 
pains  to  fit  out  for  the  important  commission  of  our 
defense.  AVe  extol  that  fecundity  of  genius  by  which, 
in  circumstances  of  the  myst  discouraging  distress, 
you  created  unforeseen  resources,  raised  as  it  were 
from  the  ground  hosts  of  intrepid  warriors,  and  pro- 
vided every  vulnerable  point  with  ample  means  of 
defense.  To  Him  we  trace  that  instinctive  superiority 
of  your  mind,  which  alone  rallied  around  you  univer- 
sal confidence,  impressed  one  irresistible  movement  to 
all  the  jarring  elements  of  which  this  political  machine 
is  composed,  aroused  their  slumbering  spirits,  and 
diffused  through  every  rank  that  noble  ardor  which 
glowed  in  your  own  bosom.  To  Him,  in  fine,  we  ad- 
dress our  acknowledgments  for  that  consummate  pru- 
dence which  defeated  all  the  combinations  of  a 
sagacious  enemy,  entangled  him  in  the  very  snares 
which  he  had  spread  before  us,  and  succeeded  in 
effecting  his  utter  destruction,  without  hardly  ex- 
posing the  lives  of  our  citizens.  Immortal  thanks 
be  to  His  Supreme  Majesty,  for  sending  us  such  an 
instrument  of  His  bountiful  designs  !  A  gift  of  that 
value  is  the  best  token  of  the  continuance  of  His 
protection — the  most  solid  encouragement  to  us  to 
sue  for  new  favors.  The  first  which  it  emboldens  us 
humbly  to  supplicate,  as  it  is  the  nearer  to  our  throb- 


—  70  — 

bing  hearts,  is  that  you  may  long  enjoy,  General,  the 
honors  of  your  grateful  country,  of  which  you  will 
permit  us  to  present^-ou  a  pledge  in  this  wreath  of 
laurel,  the  prize  of  victory,  the  symbol  of  immortality, 
The  next  is  a  speedy  and  honorable  termination  of 
the  bloody  contest  in  which  we  are  engaged.  No 
one  has  so  efficaciously  labored  as  yon,  General,  for 
the  acceleration  of  that  blissful  period.  May  we 
soon  reap  the  sweetest  fruit  of  your  splendid  and  un- 
interrupted victories  ! ' 

"The  General,  having  received  the  wreath  of 
laurel  from  the  apostolic  hands  of  the  speaker,  made 
this  modest  and  felicitous  reply: 

"'Reverend  Sir,  I  receive  with  gratitude  and 
pleasure  the  symbolical  crown  which  piety  has  pre- 
pared. I  receive  it  in  the  name  of  the  brave  men 
who  have  so  effectually  seconded  my  exertions  for  the 
preservation  of  their  country.  They  well  deserve  the 
laurels  their  country  will  bestow. 

"  *  For  myself,  to  have  been  instrumental  in  the 
deliverance  of  such  a  country,  is  the  greatest  blessing 
that  Heaven  could  confer.  That  it  has  been  effected 
with  so  little  loss,  that  so  few  tears  should  cloud  the 
smiles  of  our  triumph,  and  not  a  cypress  leaf  be  in- 
terwoven in  the  wreath  which  you  present,  is  a  source 
of  the  most  exquisite  enjoyment. 

" '  I  thank  you.  Reverend  Sir,  most  sincerely,  for 
the  prayers  which  you  offer  up  for  my  happiness. 
May  those  your  patriotism  dictates  for  our  beloved 
country  be  first  heard,  and  may  mine  for  your  indi- 
vidual prosperity,  as  well  as  that  of  the  congregation 
committed  to  your  care,  be  favorably  received  !  The 
prosperity,  the  wealth,  the  happiness  of  this  city  will 


then  be  commensurate  with  the  courage  and  other 
qualities  of  its  inhabitants.' '; 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  SAINT  LOUIS  CATHEDRAL 
OF  OUR  DAYS. 


In  1850  the  principal  tower  of  the  Cathedral 
collapsed,  and  it  was  discovered  that  notwithstanding 
the  solidity  with  which  the  edifice  had  been  originally 
put  up,  the  walls  were  becoming  insecure.  Large 
cracks  had  made  their  appearance  on  the  front  and 
sides,  and  in  consequence,  the  upper  portion  was  torn 
down  and  a  new  design  was  suggested  by  Louis  Pilie", 
a  city  surveyor,  and  adopted  by  the  wardens;  On 
the  same  occasion  the  Cathedral  was  enlarged  by  the 
addition  of  the  present  sanctuary  and  vestries,  and 
brought  up  to  its  present  size  and  appearance.  The 
interior  of  the  sacred  edifice  was  ornamented  with 
beautiful  biblical  scenes  by  artists  whose  names  have 
not  been  handed  down  to  us,  but  whose  marvellous 
delicacy  of  execution  evolved  masterpieces  that  the 
hand  of  time  has  effaced. 

The  Cathedral,  newly  repaired,  enlarged  and 
adorned,  was  blessed  on  the  7th  of  December,  1851, 
by  Archbishop  Blanc,  assisted  by  Bishop  Chandre",  of 
Natchez,  and  Bishop  Portier,  of  Mobile. 


—  72  — 

Some  forty  years  afterwards,  although  the  paint- 
ings remained  quite  distinct,  there  were  some  whose 
colors  needed  refreshing,  while  others  had  become 
antiquated  and  required  to  be  replaced  by  newer  sub- 
jects more  in  accordance  with  the  taste  and  the  ideas 
of  our  time.  The  church  building  itself  was  in  need 
of  reparation;  the  side  galleries,  portions  of  the  floor- 
ing, and  here  and  there  parts  of  the  woodwork  were 
showing  too  plainly  the  marks  of  decay. 

Archbishop  Janssens  and  Father  Mignot  (*)  were 
pondering  what  to  do  when  a  thunderstorm,  on  a 
morning  of  October,  1891,  brought  about  a  solution. 
The  lightning  had  struck  the  main  tower  of  the 
church,  and  after  making  a  large  hole,  about  three 
feet  in  diameter,  came  down  an  iron  rod,  thence 
leaped  on  to  the  grand  organ,  demolishing  several 
reeds,  and  after  pushing  the  minute  hand  of  the 
clock  over  the  choir  railing,  sought  the  earth  through 
a  hole  bored  in  the  pavement. 

The  ladies  of  the  congregation  broached  a  plan 
for  raising  the  necessary  money,  not  only  to  repair 
the  damage  done  by  the  lightning,  but  also  to  pay 
for  the  extensive  improvements  which  Father  Mignot 
desired  so  much  to  make.  When  funds  sufficient  to 
begin  the  work  of  decoration  and  of  repairs  were 


(*)  Quite  iunoceutly  the  author  was  on  the  poiut  of  neglecting 
to  mention  the  late  Father  Mignot,  but  the  kindness  and 
charity  of  the  beloved  departed  priest  were  so  graciously 
recalled  to  him  that  he  hastened  to  insert  the  features  of 
this  generous  man,  deploring  only  that  his  shoit  sojourn 
in  New  Orleans  did  not  give  him  the  opportunity  to  echo 
in  a  more  deserving  place  the  vivid  veneration  in  which 
is  held,  throughout  the  French  quarter,  the  memory  of 
"Good  Father  Mignot." 


VERY  REV.  H.  MIGXOT. 


—  74  — 

realized,  Father  Mignot  summoned  Mr.  Erasmus  Hum- 
brecht,  an  artist  who  had  made  his  reputation  in 
church  decoration.  A  contract  was  drawn  up  and 
signed,  and  for  many  days  the  interior  of  the  Cathe- 
dral was  a  maze  of  platforms  and  scaffoldings.  An 
army  of  workmen  were  engaged  in  making  the  neces- 
sary repairs,  but  Mr.  Humbrecht  reserved  for  himself 
the  most  difficult  and  delicate  part  of  the  improve- 
ments. He  retouched,  repainted  and  altered  some  of 
the  paintings  on  the  vault  and  above  the  lateral 
chapels,  and  obliterated  a  few  of  the  old  pictures, 
replacing  them  with  subjects  of  his  own  creation. 

This  artist  entirely  changed  the  coloring  of  walls 
and  friezes,  and  colonades.  For  the  too  glaring  tones 
which  prevailed  and  which  offended  the  artistic  eye, 
he  substituted  friezework  and  light  colors  of  tender 
hue,  mellow  gold,  pale  green  and  delicate  blue,  which 
he  so  skillfully  arranged  and  blended  that  the  inte- 
rior of  the  church  reflects  with  soft  radiance  the 
floods  of  light  that  pour  through  the  many  lateral 
windows. 

One  of  the  striking  effects  of  the  artist's  skill  is 
the  altered  appearance  of  the  numerous  colonades 
which  support  the  lateral  galleries  and  the  vaults. 
These  columns  were  round,  and  had  an  appearance 
of  solidity  and  massiveness,  not  iu  keeping  with  the 
graceful,  airy  aspect  of  the  rest  of  the  building.  By 
most  clever  contrast  of  shading  and  wonderful  juxta- 
position of  colors,  the  artist  has  given  the  columns 
the  appearance  of  being  flutedr  thus  relieving  them  of 
their  solid,  ponderous  appearance,  and  giving  them  an 
air  of  slenderuess  and  grace. 

Finally,  a  couple  of  years  ago,  in  1905,  through 


—  75- 

the  solicitude  of  the  present  rector,  Monsignore  J.  M. 
Laval,  the  whole  exterior  of  the  building  was  re- 
cemented  and  the  interior  was  adorned  with  three 
rich  chandeliers  of  brass  and  stations  of  the  cross, 
delicately  painted  in  "terra,  cotta." 


CHAPTER   IV. 

FOR   VISITORS'   SAKE. 


COSMOPOLITAN  CHARACTER  OF  A  CONGREGATION  —  THE  Swiss 
GUARD  —  A  GLIMPSE  OF  THE  ALTARS,  PAINTINGS  AND 
STAINED  GLASS  WINDOWS  —  THE  ABODE  OF  ILLUSTRI- 
OUS DEAD. 


There  is  no  place  in  New  Orleans  that  affords 
better  opportunity  for  studying  the  cosmopolitanism 
of  this  city  than  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral.  Within 
the  parish  limits  live  the  representatives  of  more  than 
ten  nations.  Americans,  French,  English,  Irish, 
Italians,  Spaniards,  Portuguese,  Syrians,  Slavonians 
and  even  Malays  and  Filipinos  come  to  worship  in 
this  church. 

In  the  transactions  of  daily  life,  it  is  hard  some- 
times to  distinguish  them  :  traffic  is  the  most  import- 
ant factor  in  the  unity  of  a  nation  made  up  of  differ- 
ent races  and  languages;  but  in  church  every  one 
prefers  to  pray  in  his  mother  tongue,  and  nothing  is 
dearer  to  his  heart  than  the  religious  ceremonies  of 
his  mother  country  performed  in  a  remote  land. 

Come  in  the  early  morning  when  the  dim  light  of 


—  76  — 

day  gives  to  llie  solitude  of  the  church  an  air  of  mys- 
ticism and  you  will  witness  the  humble  and  fervent 
prayer  of  the  sturdy  sons  of  old  Christian  countries, 
like  Ireland  and  Slavonia,  that  suffered  and  bled  for 
the  defense  of  their  faith. 

Often  unnoticed  by  the  generality  as  they  stand 
in  the  rear  of  the  church,  but  exciting  a  peculiar  in- 
terest among  keen  observers,  are  the  old  women  that 
gather  around  the  confessionals.  They  are  mostly 
Syrians  or  Sicilians,  and  wear  the  costume  of  their 
native  country.  They  pray,  raising  their  anus. up- 
wards in  the  attitude  of  the  antique  statues  called 
"Orantes."  Some  of  them  spend,  hours  in  prayer, 
kneeling  thus  on  the  pavement,  then  they  make  the 
tour  of  the  church  and  come  back  to  the  same  place, 
to  mutter  the  same  prayer. 

Nothing,  perhaps,  could  grve  a  better  idea  of  this 
cosmopolitanism  so  characteristic  of  the  "  Old  Carre" 
than  a  visit  to  the  parochial  school  conducted  by  the 
Ladies  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  on  Saint  Ann  Street. 
Among  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  children  that  at- 
tend this  school  not  less  than  ten  nations  are  repre- 
sented. 

Within  the  last  decade  the  congregation  of  the 
Saint  Louis  Cathedral  changed  its  character.  Up  to 
this  time  this  church  was  still  considered  one  of  the 
most  aristocratic.  The  elite  of  the  old  Creole  fam- 
ilies still  resided  within  its  limits,  and  on  certain 
feasts  there  were  gatherings  in  the  Saint  Louis  Cathe- 
dral that  could  not  be  witnessed  elsewhere.  Nothing 
to  be  compared  with  such  distinguished  attendance 
could  be  seen  in  our  days  except  on  special  occasions 
when  the  Archbishop  officiates  solemnly  at  the  altar. 


—  78  — 

Then  the  church  resumes  its  air  of  ancient  grandeur, 
and  amidst  the  throngs  of  people  that  fill  the  nave 
and  the  galleries  to  their  utmost  capacity,  it  docs  not 
take  long  to  distinguish  the  last  descendants  of  those 
who  once  formed  the  unique  element  of  the  congre- 
gation. Nothing  is  more  to  be  regretted  than  this 
gradual  exodus  of  the  old  Creole  families  from  the 
French  section  of  the  city. 

The  ancient  Creoles  of  New  Orleans  were  noted 
the  world  over  for  the  gallantry  and  urbanity  of  the 
men,  the  exquisite  grace  and  artistic  taste  of  the 
women,  their  elegant  and  cultured  homes,  which 
made  the  Cathedral  Parish  a  marked  center  of  refine- 
ment and  education.  The  removal  of  so  many  of 
these  old  families  to  new  and  more  progressive  sec- 
tions of  the  city  marks  the  passing  away  of  a  typical 
epoch  of  New  Orleans  life,  and  the  Saint  Louis  Ca- 
thedral cannot  too  deeply  deplore  its  abandonment  in 
this  day  by  those  whose  forefathers  it  sheltered  when 
chivalry  and  romance  bloomed  in  Louisiana. 


There  is  a  man  who  seems  to  sum  up  in  himself 
the  antiquity  and  cosmopolitanism  of  the  Saint  Louis 
Cathedral ;  a  man  who  knows  everybody  and  is  known 
by  all ;  a  man  who  for  more  than  twenty  years  has 
been  as  much  an  integral  part  of  the  Cathedral  as  are 
its  walls  and  pillars. 

Neither  time  nor  the  inclemency  of  the  weather 
have  caused  him  to  neglect  his  daily  duty;  the  old 
Cathedral  seems  to  have  imparted  to  him  something 
of  its  immutability. 

This  man,  humble  and  meek,  is,  or  rather,  will 


Photo  B.  de  Villentroy. 

THE  Swiss  GUARD  IN  FULL  REGALIA. 


—  80  — 

mark  the  end  of  an  epoch.  He  is  the  Swiss  guard, 
and  very  likely  will  be  the  last  of  the  long  series  of 
the  Swiss  guards  who,  from  the  time  of  the  very 
foundation  of  the  church,  preceded  the  religious  pro- 
cessions, presenting  a  unique  picture,  with  their 
cocked  hats  and  red  coats  gorgeously  ornamented 
with  gold  stripes. 

Do  not  think  him  either  haughty  or  surly,  he  is 
merely  a  man  of  duty,  a  man  who  does  not  stop  to 
parley  the  orders  he  is  given.  Make  any  inquiries 
about  the  Cathedral  and  he  will  never  be  at  a  loss  to 
answer,  but  do  not  ask  him  how  it  happened  to  him 
to  don  a  military  costume  of  the  middle  ages  and 
handle  a  halberd.  He  was  born  for  it;  here  ends  his 
whole  psychology. 


The  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  is  an  historical  land- 
mark, but  possesses  none  of  these  artistic  characters 
or  treasures  that  makes  some  European  churches  so 
famous  all  over  the  world.  Although  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  years  have  elapsed  since  its  erection,  not  an 
improvement  made  nor  a  donation  received  could 
appeal  to  the  interest  of  a  thorough  connaisseur.  • 

This  church,  however,  is  appropriately  furnished 
and  tastefully  decorated.  When  the  visitors  cross 
its  threshold  and  walk  down  the  aisle  to  the  choir 
railing,  they  find  themselves  in  front  of  the  high 
altar.  It  is  a  splendid  piece  of  work  imported  from 
Belgium.  The  heavy  table  of  white  marble  is  sup- 
ported by  four  caryatid  angels  and  the  frieze  that 
adorns  the  upper  part  of  the  altar  on  which  are 
placed  the  candlesticks  has  the  slightness  and  deli- 


-  81  — 

cacy  of  embroidery.  The  tabernacle  holds  the  mid- 
die  of  a  rich  canopy  that  is  crowned  by  three  statues 
personifying  Faith,  Hope  and  Charity.  The  statues 
on  either  side  of  the  main  altar  are  those  of  Saint 
Peter  and  Saint  Paul. 

The  side  altar  erected  near  the  pulpit  is  dedi- 
cated to  St.  Francisof  Assisium,  whose  picture  is  seen 
above,  hung  on  the  wall.  The  canopy  of  the  altar 
supports  a  group  representing  the  Apparition  of  Our 
Lord  to  the  Blessed  Marguerite  Marie  Alacoque  which 
occurred  in  Paray  le  Monial  (France)  in  the  second 
part  of  the  17th  century.  Often  people  designate 
this  altar  after  the  Sacred  Heart. 

The  other  side  altar  is  dedicated  to  the  Virgin 
Mary  under  the  title  of  Immaculate  Conception. 
The  rocks  and  panoramic  view  that  cover  the  back 
ground  of  the  chapel  represent  the  famous  shrine  of 
Lourdes.  There  is  seen  a  reproduction  of  one  of  the 
eighteen  apparitions  of  the  Virgin  to  a  young  girl 
named  Bernadette  Soubirons.  It  occurred  in  1858, 
and  since  the  place  has  gained  a  world  wide  fame. 
Pilgrims  by  hundreds  of  thousands  visit  it  yearly 
and  cures  take  place  that  give  plain  evidence  of  their 
supernatural  character.  The  shrine  of  Lourdes  is 
situated  along  a  torrent  and  surrounded  by  high 
mountains  that  make  of  this  spot  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  in  France. 


Daylight  illuminates  the  interior  of  the  Cathe- 
dral through  a  double  row  of  stained  glass  windows 
pierced  on  each  side  wall.  Here  is  the  list  of  the 
pictures  that  adorn  the  lower  windows :  commencing 


—  82  — 

at  the  front  door  of  the  church  and  going  down  the 
aisle  towards  the  altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes  are 
representations  of 

Saint  Dominic,  born  in  Spain  in  1170,  died  in 
1221 ;  he  founded  the  Order  of  the  Preaching  Friars 
at  Toulouse  in  1215.  His  historians  say  that  preced- 
ing his  birth,  his  mother,  whilst  she  was  with  child, 
dreamed  that  she  brought  forth  a  whelp  which  car- 
ried in  its  mouth  a  burning  torch,  with  which  it  set 
the  whole  world  in  fire. 

Saint  Charles  Borromeo  was  born  in  1538,  and 
died  in  1584.  He  became  archbishop  of  Milan  and 
is  known  as  a  great  reformer  of  the  ecclesiastical 
discipline. 

Saint  Catherine  died  a  martyr  to  the  faith  by 
the  order  of  the  Emperor  Maximinus,  in  the  fourth 
century. 

Our  Lady  of  the  Holy  Rosary  is  a  representation 
of  the  Virgin  as  patroness  of  a  religious  association 
established  in  1481  by  Sixtus  IV  to  ward  off  by  the 
recitation  of  the  Rosary  the  evils  that  threatened 
Christendom  at  the  hands  of  the  Turks. 

Saint  Vincent  de  Paul,  a  French  priest  who 
founded  the  Priests  of  the  Mission  known  as  the 
Lazarist  Fathers  and  the  Congregation  of  the 
Daughters  of  Charity  known  as  Sisters  of  Saint 
Vincent  de  Paul  —  157G-1660. 

Saint  Ann  (over  the  side  porch),  mother  of  the 
Virgin  Mary. 

On  the  opposite  are  the  following  pictures  be- 
ginning with  the  nearest  to  the  main  entrance: 

Saint  Peter,  the  Prince  of  the  Apostles  and   the 


Photo  B.  de  V'illentroy. 

ALTAR  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  LOURDES. 


—  8J  — 

first  bishop  of  Koine  where  he  suffered  crucifixion  in 
the  year  65  A.  1). 

Saint  Patrick,  the  Apostle  of  Ireland,  lived  in 
the  fifth  century. 

The  Holy  Family,  the  Infant  Jesus,  the  Virgin 
Mary  his  mother  and  Saint  Joseph,  his  foster  father. 

The  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  a  picture  of  our  Lord 
as  He  appeared  to  the  Blessed  Marguerite  Marie 
Alacoque,  a  nun  of  the  Qrder  of  the  Visitation,  1647- 
1690. 

Saint  Francis  of  Assisium,  founder  of  the  Friars 
Minors,  known  as  Franciscans,  1208. 

Saint  Louis,  1226-1270.  A  king-  of  France,  led 
the  eighth  crusade  in  Holy  Land.  This  Cathedral 
is  named  after  him,  and  the  diocese  of  New  Orleans 
is  placed  under  his  patronage. 


* 
* 


The  interior  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  is  de- 
corated with  symbolical  and  historic  pictures  of 
great  interest. 

The  principal  pictures  are  :  The  very  large-sized 
tableau,  painted  on  the  wall  just  above  the  main 
altar,  representing  Saint  Louis,  announcing  the 
Crusade.  There  are  many  figures  in  this  immense 
grouping,  all  of  heroic  size. 

The  next  tableau  that  challenges  admiration  is 
painted  on  the  vault  exactly  over  the  centre  of  the 
main  aisle,  and  is  entitled  "  Saint  Peter  receiving  the 
Shepherd's  Staff  from  Our  Lord." 

At  stated  distance  from  that  beautiful  picture 
are  painted,  in  medallion,  the  four  evangelists,  Saint 
John,  Saint  Mark,  Saint  Luke  and  Saint  Matthew. 


Photo  C.  M.  C. 


SHRINK  OF  Ouu  LADY  OF  LOURDES. 


—  86  — 

Between  each  of  the  twelve  side  arches  there  is  the 
portrait  of  one  of  the  apostles. 

Over  the  choir  there  is  a  very  spirited  represen- 
tation of  the  archangel  Michael,  and  at  the  other 
extremity,  near  the  sanctuary,  is  •'  the  Holy  Family." 

The  vault  of  the  sanctuary  lias  a  picture  repre- 
senting "The  Sacrifice  of  the  Divine  Lamb." 

Symbolical  figures  of  the  old  and  the  new  testa- 
ments are  distributed,  artistically  in  the  arched  vault. 

The  spaces  over  the  lateral  chapels  are  also  very 
beautifully  decorated.  Over  the  altar  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  and  of  Saint  Francis  of  Assisi  (right  aisle) 
there  is  a  pathetic  picture  representing  "  The  Agony 
of  Our  Lord."  Christ  is  shown,  kneeling  in  the 
Garden  of  Olives.  His  eyes  are  suffused  witli  tears ; 
the  sweat  of  agony  is  upon  his  suffering  face.  In 
front  of  Him  stands  an  angel  bearing  a  cross,  while 
directly  over  Christ,  and  enclosed  within  a  golden 
halo,  there  eff ulges  the  "  chalice  of  bitterness " 
which  the  Son  of  God  has  to  drain  to  the  very  last 
drop. 

Over  the  altar  of  ]S"otre  Dame  de  Lourdes  (Our 
Lady  of  Lourdes)  the  "Annunciation"  is  depicted 
with  true  artistic  effect  and  coloring.  The  Virgin 
Mary  and  the  Angel  Gabriel  are  painted  in  most 
natural  pose  and  attitude.  This  picture,  known  to 
all  scholars,  is  most  beautifully  executed,  and  the 
angel's  lips  seem  about  to  formulate  the  respectful 
salutation:  "Ave  Maria,  gratia  plena,  Dominus  te- 
cum,  benedicta  tu  in  mulieribus,  etc." 

The  work  which  has  called  forth  the  greatest 
admiration,  is  the  allegorical  tableau,  just  above  the 
organ.  This  beautiful  painting  represents  Saint 


Photo  Er'Claudel. 


INTEIUOK   OF   TJIE   CATHEDRAL. 


—  88  — 

Cecilia,  the  patron  saint  of  music.  She  seeins  to  be 
floating  on  a  canopy  of  clouds,  around  and  above  her 
are  a  number  of  angelic  figures,  as  it  were  the  fleecy 
throne  upon  which  Saint  Cecilia  sits.  Below  the 
painting  there  is  a  large  scroll,  ornamental,  bearing 
in  French  an  inscription  which,  translated,  means : 
"Sing  the  praises  of  the  Lord  on  reed  and  on  string 
instruments." 


* 
* 


The  Saint  Louis  Cathedral,  a  temple  of  the  Living 
God  is  at  the  same  time  the  abode  of  illustrious  dead. 
Under  the  flagstones  of  its  sanctuary  rest  grand 
signers  of  the  Old  Eegime  and  many  of  the  prelates 
that  occupied  the  glorious  See  of  New  Orleans. 

On  the  epistle  side,  under  the  Chapel  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  was  buried  Don  Andres  -Almonester  y 
Roxas,  founder  of  the  Cathedral  and  the  famous 
Father  Antonio  de  Sedella,  its  first  rector. 

On  the  other  side,  under  the  Altar  of  Our  Lady 
of  Lourdes,  rest  three  illustrious  Chevaliers.  Their 
tomb  is  marked  by  a  large  marble  flag  stone  that 
bears  their  coat  of  arms  and  the  following  inscription  : 


—  89  — 


ICI   REPOSENT 

FRANCOIS  PHILIPPE  DE  MARIGNY  DE  MANDEVILLE, 

Chevalier  de  I'Ordre  Royal  et  Militaire  de  Saint  Louis  tt  Major  de 
Place  a  la  Nouvelle-  Orleans,  tie"  a  Bayeux  en  Normandie,  mart 
dans  cette  ville  le  ler  Novembre  1728. 

ANTOINE  PHILIPPE  DE  MAKIGNY  DE  MAXDEVILLE, 

Chevalier  de  I'Ordre  Eoyal  et  Militaire  de  Saint  Louis  et  Capitaine 
d'Infanterie  au  service  de  France,  tie  a  la  Mobile  le  28  Ffarier 
1722,  mort  a  la  Nouvelle-Orle'ans  le  G  Novembre  1779. 

PIERRE  PHILIPPE  DE  MARIGNY  DE  MANDEVILLE, 

Chevalier  de  I'Ordre  Eoyal  tt  Militaire  de  Saint  Louis,  Capitaine 
d'Infanterie  sous  le  Gouvernement  Espagnol,  we  dans  cette  ville 
le  13  Juin  1757,  et  mort  le  11  Mai  1800. 

The  same  inscription  is  translated  in  English  as 
follows  : 

HERE   REST 

FRANCOIS  PHILIPPE  DE  MARIGNY  DE  MANDEVILLE, 

A  Knight  of  the  Royal  and  Military  Order  of  Saint  Louis,  and  Port 
Commandant  at  New  Orleans,  born  at  Bayeux,  in  Normandy, 
died  in  this  city  November  1,  1728. 

ANTOINE  PHILIPPE  DE  MARIGNY  DE  MANDEVILLE, 

A  Knight  of  the  Royal  and  Military  Order  of  Saint  Louis,  and  Cap- 
tain of  Infantry  in  the  sen-ice  of  France,  born  at  Mobile  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1772,  died  at  New  Orleans  November  6,  1779. 

PIERRE  PHILIPPE  DE  MARIGNY  DE  MANDEVILLE, 

A  Knight  of  the  Royal  and  Military  Order  of  Saint  Loui4,  Captain 
of  Infantry  under  the  Spanish  Government,  born  in  this  city 
on  June  13,  1757,  and  died  on  the  llth  of  May,  1800. 


—  90  — 

Others  very  likely  have  been  buried  side  by  side 
with  these  illustrious  dead,  but  their  names  are 
unknown.  Henry  C.  Castellauos  says  "  that  during 
the  repairs  of  the  Cathedral  in  1850  the  masons  were 
compelled  to  disinter  the  remains  of  the  dead  buried 
at  the  foot  of  the  Altar  of  Saint  Francis,  whence 
they  were  carried  in  wheelbarrows  to  the  cart  destined 
to  convey  them  to  the  cemetery.  Among  these  relics 
were  the  bones  of  Pere  Antoine  now  resting  in  the 
Priest's  tomb  in  the  Old  Saint  Louis  Cemetery. 

Under  that  new  part  of  the  Cathedral  added  in 
1850  and  covered  now  by  the  sanctuary  and  the 
sacristies,  eight  mortuary  rooms  were  constructed, 
two  at  the  foot  of  the  high  altar  and  two  in  each 
sacristy.  Under  the  sanctuary,  on  the  epistle  side, 
was  laid  to  rest  the  body  of  the  sainted  Archbishop 
Janssens,  who  died  in  1897.  The  tomb  was  opened 
in  May,  1908,  and  the  casket  found  in  perfect  state 
of  preservation. 

On  the  gospel  side  of  the  sanctuary  was  buried 
the  late  Archbishop  Chapelle,  who  died  a  victim  of 
the  yellow  fever,  the  9th  of  August,  1905.  The  same 
vault  was  previously  occupied  by  the  remains  of 
Bishop  Blanc,  who  died  in  1860. 

The  tombs  built  under  the  sacristy  near  the 
Altar  of  Saint  Francis  have  never  been  used.  In  the 
crypt  under  the  floor  of  the  second  sacristy,  two 
vaults  out  of  six  are  closed.  One  contains  the  remains 
of  Father  Duquesnay,  who  died  in  1858.  In  the  other 
vault  has  been  lately  buried  Right  Iteverend  Gustave 
Eouxel,  Auxiliary  bishop  of  New  Orteans.  He  died 
in  March,  1908,  and  is  the  last  of  the  prelates  in- 
terred in  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral. 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE   SAINT   LOUIS   CATHEDRAL   ARCHIVES. 


How  THK  RKCORDS  WKRE  HANDED  DOWN— OLDEST  ENTRIES 
— TERRIBLE  STORIES  IN  A  FEW  LINES— SIDE  LIGHTS  ox 
CIVIL  AND  RELIGIOUS  LIFK  OF  OLD. 


Nothing'  seems  to  impress  the  visitor  more  than 
a  peep  at  the  old  registers  that  sleep  on  the  shelves 
of  the  Cathedral  Archives.  The  covers  darkened  and 
mangled,  the  pages  yellow  and  crumbling,  the  ink 
faded  by  time,  tell  more  eloquently  than  words  of 
the  years  that  have  glided  away  by  scores,  since  the 
first  entry  was  written  in  the  musty  records. 

The  Saint  Louis  Cathedral,  and  the  Ursuline 
Convent,  hide  their  age  under  a  new  coat  of  cement; 
the  decaying  tombs  of  the  Old  Saint  Louis  Cemetery 
sink  slowly  into  the  soft  soil  amidst  tall  herbs  and 
dense  shrubbery;  the  venerable  registers  of  the 
Cathedral  Archives  alone  bear  openly  the  fateful 
touch  of  time.  They  are  like  remains  freshly  removed 
from  the  common  tomb  of  the  past  generation.  One 
cannot  look  upon  them  without  thinking  of  those, 
who  for  two  centuries  trod  the  soil  upon  which  we 
live,  and  who  have  long  since  passed  away,  leaving 
only  a  name  slowly  but  surely  fading  with  the  years. 

These  precious  records  for  a  long  time  had  their 
home  in  a  small  and  dark  room,  situated  on  the 
ground  lioor  of  the  St.  Louis  Cathedral  Presbytery, 
in  which  the  light  penetrated  through  an  iron  barred 
window  set  quite  low,  and  allowing  the  passerby  to 


catch  a  glimpse  of  its  interior  furnished  with  a  couple 
of  chairs,  a  table  and  rows  upon  rows  of  shelves  filled 
with  volumes  bearing  the  venerable  stamp  of  age. 

A  custodian  takes  care  of  these  archives.  "In 
fact,"  wrote  James  Augustin,  "  there  always  has  been 
a  quiet,  inild  mannered,  unobtrusive,  polite  and 
obliging  middle-aged  gentleman  in  charge  of  these 
precious  records.  There  have  been  changes  of 
individuals,  but  not  of  manners,  and  when  one  of  the 
venerable  guardians  goes  to  his  eternal  rest  another 
takes  his  place,  and  placidly  assumes  the  duties  of 
the  office." 

The  names  of  three  -keepers  of  these  archives 
are  still  particularly  remembered;  they  are  Messrs. 
Dubuc,  Geo.  De  Jahain  and  Henry  Ducatel.  Mr. 
Dubuc  was  custodian  so  long  ago  that  no  one  can 
exactly  remember  the  time  when  he  took  possession 
of  his  charge.  Geo.  De  Jaham,  his  successor,  cann- 
on duty  when  the  present  generation  was  receiving 
baptism  at  the  hands  of  Itev.  Father  Mignot;  he 
remained  in  office  until  his  death  in  1893.  Henry 
Ducatel,  who  was  offered  the  place  left  vacant  by 
Mr.  De  Jaham,  had  been  baptized  by  the  famous 
"Pere  Antoine."  Henry  Ducatel  spent  ten  years  of 
his  youth  at  Paris  in  the  College  of  Louis  le  Grand; 
then  he  returned  to  his  country  and  engaged  in  busi- 
ness. He  served  through  the  Civil  War  as  captain  of 
artillery  in  the  Gardes  d'Orleans. 

After  Mr.  Ducatel's  death  the  position  held 
for  a  while  by  a  young  man,  was  then  given  by  Father 
Mignot  to  Mr.  J.  C.  Keuaud,  the  present  incumbent. 

The  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  Archives  number  at 
present  131  registers  of  different  sizes  and  bindings. 


Photo  C.  M.  C. 

THE  CATHEDRAL  ARCHIVES  AND  THKIR  CUSTODIAN. 


—  94  — 

Seventy  are  consecrated  to  the  white  people,  of 
which  forty  are  records  of  baptisms,  twenty  of  mar- 
riages and  ten  of  burials. 

Forty-one  registers  are  devoted  to  the  colored 
people,  of  which  thirty  record  baptisms  and  five 
marriages.  The  books  containing  the  burials  of  the 
colored  people  have  not  yet  been  properly  classified, 
and  lie  amidst  a  heap  of  yellow  and  dusty  papers  re- 
lating to  the  administration  of  the  Trustees  of  the 
Cathedral. 

Though  very  numerous,  the  collection  is  not 
complete;  some  of  the  registers  are  missing  and 
pages  of  others  for  various  motives  have  been 
shrewdly  torn  off,  but  these  constitute  exceptions, 
and  if  we  consider  the  lapse  of  time  and  the  inev- 
itable havoc  it  plays  with  everything,  it  must  be 
acknowledged  that  the  unity  of  the  Cathedral  archives 
has  been  wonderfully  preserved,  and  the  interest  that 
arises  from  a  close  perusal  of  them  is  altogether 
unique  and  vividly  interestiug. 


One  of  the  oldest  registers  of  the  Archives  of 
the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  is  in  Paris  among  the 
colonial  papers  of  the  French  Xavy.  I  could  not 
learn  how  it  found  its  way  there.  A  copy  of  it  was 
ordered  for  the  Historical  Society  of  Louisiana  by 
Professor  Alcee  Fortier,  and  can  be  found  in  the  Tu- 
lane  University  Library.  It  opens  with  these  words: 
"Kegister  of  those  who  died  at  the  Old  Fort  of  Biloxi 
during  the  admistration  of  Mr.  Danion.  from  the  8th 
of  August,  1720,  to  the  4th  of  Setempber,  1722." 

Then  follow  these  different  extracts  : 


—  95  — 

1.  Extract  from  the  registers  of  the  Rev.  Father 
DeViaudec,  Capuchin  and  Missionary  from  theChapi- 
toulas  to  the  Pointe  Coupee. 

2.  Extract  from   the  baptism  registers  of  the 
Parish  of  Able  Descas  from  May,  1723,  to  May,  1724. 

3.  Baptisms,  marriages  and  burials  held  in  the 
Chapel  of  the  Fort  of  Chartres,  Diocese  of  Quebec. 

This  precious  register  ends  with  the  entries  of 
burials  for  Few  Orleans  from  1720  to  1734,  but  with 
many  intermissions.  Most  of  these  ceremonies  were 
performed  by  Fathers  Raphael,  Matthias  de  Sedan, 
Pierre,  Philippe  and  Hyacinthe.  Some  of  these  en- 
tries are  most  eloquent  in  their  brevity  and  make  us 
think  of  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  the  early 
colonists  of  Louisiana.  Here  is  one  of  them : 

"In  the  year  1723,  there  was  massacred,  by  the 
savages  on  the  coast  of  Florida,  a  man  named  Cesar 
Soulard,  whose  fate  we  have  heard  from  reliable  wit- 
nesses." Here  indeed  the  dreadful  story  of  this  mas- 
sacre is  told  in  a  few  lines. 


The  register  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral 
Archives  that  contains  the  oldest  entries  is  not  the 
original,  but  a  copy  written  by  Father  Antoine 
himself  to  replace  the  original  registry,  which  was 
already  "  in  a  very  bad  condition,"  as  Pere  Antoine 
testifies.  Tbis  precious  copy  opens  under  this  heading : 

"  First  register  of  marriages  of  the  Saint  Louis 
Parish  Church." 

Then  follows : 

"  First  register  of  marriages  of  the  Saint  Louis 
Parish  of  New  Orleans,  containing  376  acts  of  mar- 


—  96  — 

riages  of  white  persons,  11  marriages  of  negroes, 
and  three  acts  of  abjuration  of  heresy.  Said  register 
begins  the  first  day  of  the  month  of  July  of  the  year 
1720  and  ends  the  fourth  day  of  the  month  of  De- 
cember of  the  year  1730." 

The  first  entry  is  as  follows  :  "  Marriages  of  the 
Province  of  Louisiana. 

"No.  1.  The  year  1720  and  the  first  of  July,  a 
publication  of  the  names  having  been  made  at  the 
parochial  mass  on  the  16th  of  June,  and  dispensation 
for  the  two  others  having  been  granted,  no  impediment 
having  been  found  between  Peter  Sinton,  a  native 
of  Chatelleraux,  son  of  Mr.  Adrien  Sinton  and 
Fran§oise  Ressay,  his  father  and  mother,  and  Mcole 
Daucune,  native  of  Chalons  in  Champagne,  daughter 
of  Philip  Daucune  and  Dame  Caffet,  her  father  and 
mother,  I,  undersigned,  missionary  and  acting  pastor 
in  New  Orleans,  have  received  their  mutual  consent 
and  given  the  nuptial  blessing  ordered  by  the  Holy 
Church,  in  presence  of  John  Gero  and  Saint  George, 
who  have  signed  with  me. 

"FATHER  F.  PROTIIAIS-BOYER, 

"  Missionary,  Recolet. 
"  SAINTOX. 
"NICOLE  DAUCUNE." 


The  first  act  of  abjuration  of  heresy  is  as  follows: 
"  In  the  year  1726,  on  the  llth  of  January,  John 
Betzman  of  the  Parish  des  Allemands,  has  made 
in  my  hands  abjuration  of  the  Calvinist  heresy  in 
which  he  was  born  and  reared,  in  presence  of  two 
Germans,  who,  having  said  that  they  did  not  know 


-97  — 

how  to  sign  their  names,  have  made  their  ordinary 
mark.     In  testimony  of  which  I  sign : 

"  F.  RAPHAEL, 
"  Capuchin  Priest  and  Vicar  General. 


In  fact,  the  oldest  original  register  of  the  Saint 
Louis  Cathedral  Archives  is  but  the  third  of  the  col- 
lection— the  first  being  at  Paris  and  the  second  only 
a  copy  of  the  original. 

This  precious  record,  begun  on  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary, 1731,  and  finished  on  the27th  of  December,  1733, 
opens  with  these  words : 

"The  present  register  containing  ninety-two 
sheets,  this  one  not  included,  has  been  paraphed  by 
us,  Francois  Fleuviau,  King  Counsellor  and  Attorney 
General  of  the  Superior  Council  of  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  to  be  used  by  the  rector  of  New  Orleans 
to  record  successively  and  without  interruption  the 
baptisms,  marriages  and  burials  which  will  be  per- 
formed in  the  said  parish  according  to  the  decree  of 
1667. 

"  New  Orleans,  this  30th  December,  1730. 

"  F.  FLEUVIAU." 

The  first  entry  of  baptism  reads  as  follows :  "In 
the  year  1731,  the  1st  of  January,  at  a  quarter  past 
twelve  o'clock  at  night,  Catherine  de  Pe"rier  was  born, 
legitimate  child  of  Perier  Cenier,  Chevalier  of  the 
Military  Order  of  Saint  Louis,  Captain  of  Frigate 
and  Commander  General  of  the  Province  of  Louisiana, 
and  Dame  Catherine  Le  Chibelier,  her  father  and 
mother;  and  was  baptized  in  the  same  hour.  The 
godfather  was  Mr.  Guillaume  Nicolas  Lange,  who  has 


—  98  — 

signed  these  presents  on  the  day  and  year  above 

mentioned. 

"  PERIER, 

"  F.  RAPHAEL, 

"  Priest  Capuchin,  Vicar  General. 
'•  LANGR." 

The  first  record  of  marriage  contained  in  the 
same  register  reads  as  follows: 

"In  the  year  1731,  the  10th  of  January,  after 
having  published  three  times  at  the  sermon  of  the 
parochial  mass  the  promise  of  marriage  between 
John  Nauere,  son  of  Bernard  Nauere  and  of  Jeanne 
Larode,  his  father  and  mother,  native  of  Saint 
Nicholas  of  the  City  of  Plaisance  in  the  bishop- 
ric of  Tarbes  in  Gascogne,  widower  of  Louise  Bri- 
don,  deceased  in  this  parish, — and  The"rese  Maisonet, 
daughter  of  Antoine  Maisonet  and  of  Madeleine 
Malbe,  her  father  and  mother,  native  of  the  parish 
of  Saint  Nicholas  des  Champs,  Archbishopric  of 
Paris,  widow  of  Louis  Mirant,  deceased  at  Natchez, 
having  not  found  any  impediment  to  the  said  marriage, 
I,  Capuchin  Priest,  Missionary  Apostolic  at  New  Or- 
leans, have  received  their  mutual  consent  mid  given 
the  nuptial  blessing  according  to  the  rites  of  the 
Church  in  the  presence  of  the  undersigned  witnesses, 
to-wit:  Nicholas  Dominique  Rousseau,  Pierre  Mar- 
tineau,  Jean  Daniel,  who  have  signed  with  me. 

"  JEAN  NAUERE, 
"  THERESE  MAISONKT, 
"  JKAN  DANIEL  ROUSSEAU, 
"  PIERRE  MARTINET, 
"  F.  RAPHAEL, 
"Capuchin  Priest,  Vicar  General." 


The  third  section  of  the  same  old  register  contains 
the  burial  records,  and  the  first  entry  reads  as  follows: 

"  In  the  year  1731  on  the  llth  of  January,  I,  un- 
dersigned Capuchin  Priest,  Apostolic  Missionary  at 
oSTew  Orleans,  have  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  this 
parish  with  the  ordinary  ceremonies  of  the  Church, 
the  corpse  of  the  deceased,  Etienne  Duchesne,  a  cap- 
tain of  the  port,  who  died  on  the  10th  of  January, 
having  received  the  sacraments  of  the  church.  In 
testimony  of  which  I  sign. 

"FATHER  PIERRE, 
"  Priest  Capuchin,  Apostolic  Missionary." 


The  slaves  were  often  baptized  by  groups  of  ten, 
fifteen  and  even  twenty. 

Then,  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  the  priest  used  to 
write  in  three  columns.  In  the  first  were  the  names 
of  the  newly  baptized,  in  the  second  the  names  of 
their  masters  and  in  the  third  the  names  of  the  god- 
fathers and  godmothers.  Thus  on  page  37  occurs : 

"In  the  year  1733  and  the  4th  of  March,  I  ad- 
ministered the  baptism  of  the  catechumens  with  the 
ordinary  ceremony  of  the  Church  to  the  adult  negroes 
and  negresses  hereafter  named: 


Names  of  the 
Baptized. 

Their 
Masters. 

Godfathers  and 
Godmothers. 

Michel 

Mr.  Dupont 

H.  Marqnier 

Etieuue 

Lerapileur 

E.  Janot 

Francois 

Alexandra 

Larche 

John  Baptist 

Roy 

Marquis 

Charles 

Deslatte 

C.  Marquet 

Dominique 

Nicholas 

Bunel  Jonior 

Etc. 

Etc. 

Etc. 

—  100  — 

"  In  witness    thereof   I    signed,   this    day   and 

month  as  above. 

"  RAPHAKL, 

"Vicar  General,  Rector. 

* 
*        * 

On  one  of  the  last  pages  of  the  same  register 
there  is  pasted  a  very  interesting  document  which 
alludes  to  the  terrible  massacre  by  the  Natchez 
Indians  of  the  white  settlers,  at  "  Terre  Blanche,"  in 
December,  1729. 

This  act  is  written  in  form  of  an  affidavit  and  is 
signed  by  Guebo  and  Cantrelle.  These  were  the  names 
of  the  two  only  survivors  of  the  massacre.  Guebo 
and  Cantrelle,  after  escaping  from  the  horrible  fate 
of  their  unfortunate  fellow  settlers,  made  their  way 
to  New  Orleans,  reaching  the  city  after  a  very  long 
and  tedious  journey.  They  had  saved  from  the  fury  of 
the  Indians  a  child  of  four  months,  a  boy,  whom 
they  managed  to  bring  alive  to  New  Orleans,  the  litte 
waif's  life  having  been  preserved  by  the  providential 
offer  of  a  friendly  squaw,  who  suckled  the  infant 
during  the  whole  of  the  perilous  journey. 

Some  time  after  the  men  LCad  reached  tlje  city, 
they  were  interviewed  by  the  ecclesiastical  authorities 
for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  if  the  child  had  been 
baptized.  Guebo  and  Cantrelle  answered  affirma- 
tively, but  a  formal  declaration  was  exacted,  drafted 
in  French  by  Guebo,  signed  by  him  and  Cantrelle,  and 
placed  among  the  records  of  the  Church. 

The  orthography  of  this  old  document  is  primitive, 
and  as  an  historical  curiosity  deserves  to  be  copied 
literally.  It  reads  as  follows: 


—  101- 

"  Notts  soussignes  habittans  rechappes  du  massacre 
des  Natchez  ;  certiffions  a  tous,  quHl  appartiendra,  quHl 
aeste  Baptise  and.  Lieu  Le  fils  de  monsieur  des  Noyers, 
aide  major  des  trouppes  des  Natchez  et  directeur  de  la 
concession  de  la  terre  Blanche,  et  de  Madame  Angelique 
Charisson,  les  pere  et  mere,  Nez  le  9  aout  1729  et  Bap- 
tise le  10  dud.  mois  par  le  Reverend  Pere  Philibert  capu- 
cin;  et  que  les  Parrin  et  marreine  estoient  Monsieur  Des 
Ursins  de  la  loire,  concessionaire  aud.  Lieu,  et  MadUe 
Des  Noyers ;  Et  que  led.  Enfant  fut  -nomme  Antoin& 
Laurent  des  Noyers. 

"  En  foy  de  quoy  Nous  avons  donnele  present  pour 
Certificat  attendu  que  tous  les  Papiers  Et  tous  les  Effets 
de  tout  le  monde  ont  pery  dans  led.  massacre,  a  la  Nou- 
velle  Orleans  ce  lOfevrier  1733. 

"GUEBO,         CANTRELLE." 

Freely  translated;  this  affidavit  means : 

"  That  ice,  the  undersigned  colonists,  escaped  from 
the  massacre  by  the  Natchez  Tribe,  certify  that  the  son 
of  Mr.  Des  Noyers,  aide-Major  of  troops  at  Natchez  and 
director  of  the  concession  (or  reservation)  of  the  "  Terre 
Blanche  ;"  and  of  Mme.  Angelique  Chyrison,  his  father 
and  mother,  was  born  on  the  9th  day  of  August,  1 729,  and 
teas  christened  on  the  IQth  day  of  that  month  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Philibert,  Capuchin  ;  and  that  the  godfather  and 
godmother  were  Mr.  Des  Ursins  de  la  Loire  and 
Madame  Des  Noyers  ;  and  that  said  child  iras  named 
Antoine  Laurent  Des  Noyers.  In  faith  whereof  we  have 
given  these  presents  as  a  certificate,  because  all  the 
papers  and  effects  of  all  the  people  at  Natchez  icere  lost 
in  the  massacre. 

"New  Orleans,  IQth  February,  1733." 


—  102  — 

Still  more  interesting  than  the  baptisms  or  mor- 
tuary registers  is  the  book  containing  the  minutes  of 
the  meetings  held  by  the  Church  Wardens. 

These  reports  run  from  November,  1738,  to 
March,  1833.  Among  other  subjects  of  minor  im- 
portance they  relate  the  famous  suit  of  the  Wardens 
against  Abbe  Walsh  and  the  long  discussion  raised 
by  the  City  Council  about  the  ownership  of  the 
cemetery. 

The  monthly  reports  of  the  expenses  of  the 
Church  are  of  a  peculiar  interest,  as  they  give  an  idea 
of  the  importance  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral,  at 
this  time  the  only  parish  church  of  the  city.  There 
is  for  instance  the  report  of  January,  1825  : 

Names  of  the  Persons  of  the  Clergy  of  the  Saint  Louis  Church 

of  Neic  Orleans  and  of  the  Employees  of  the  Said 

Church,   With  Their  Respective  Salary  : 

Per  Mouth 

The  Rev.  Father  Antoiue  de  Sedella,  rector $70  00 

Mr.  1'Abbe"  Moni,  curate  and  sacrist 55  00 

Mr.  1'Abbd  Michaud.  curate 50  00 

Mr.  1'Abbd  Borgna  (in  France  or  Europe) 50  00 

Mr.  1'Abbe"  Gallagher,  assistant  to  the  clergy 30  00 

Mr.  Rutin  Fernandez,  first  chorister 35  00 

Mr.  M.  Laudun,  chorister  and  music  master 30  00 

Mr.  Jean  Xime'nes,  chorister 25  00 

Mr.  Castro  Gouzales,  sub-deacon  and  chorister 20  00 

Mr.  Christoval  Rodriguez,  sacristan 26  50 

Ant.  Muuoz,  altar  boy • 20  00 

Ant.  Catoir,  altar  boy 10  00 

Jacques  Astin,  altar  boy 10  00 

Philosene  Portail,  altar  boy 10  00 

Jean  Mazerat,  altar  boy 10  00 

Pierre  Maspero,  altar  boy 10  00 

Mr.  1'Abbe"  Portier,  teacher  of  the  school  of  thirty  boys.  100  00 

Mr.  Quimper,  teacher  of  the  school  of  twenty  little  girls.  52  00 


—  103  — 

Mr.  J.  B.  Labatnt,  treasurer  of  the  corporatiou, 
five  per  cent  of  commission 

Mr.  Ant.  Crnzat,  collector  of  the  corporation, 
five  per  cent  of  commission 

Mr.  E.  Konx,  grave  digger 


Mr.  Lonis  Laporte,  organist 30  00 

A  negro  who  blows  the  orgau i»  00 

Per  Year 

Mr.  C.  Bouk,  lute  maker 100  00 

Hyacinthe  Castor,  secretary  to  the  wardens 200  00 

Per  Month 

Lucien  Vignaud,  clock  maker 15  00 

Jean  Castro,  beadle  and  janitor 20  00 

Mme.  Widow  Fernandez,  laundress 11  00 

Other  records  of  the  book  enlighten  us  upon  the 
conditions  of  the  city  at  this  time. 

For  instance,  this  letter  concerning  a  night  watch- 
man to  be  posted  on  the  roof  of  the  church,  whose 
duty  it  would  be  to  ring  the  alarm  bell  in  case  of  fire. 

"  To  the  Administrators  of  the  Saint  Louis  Church 

of  ]^ew  Orleans : 

"  Several  attempts  having  been  made  to  burn 
down  the  city,  a  committee  of  citizens  called  on  me 
and  begged  me  to  take  the  necessary  measures  to  pre- 
vent any  further  attempt.  Among  the  means  which 
seemed  to  them  the  most  convenient  is  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  watchman  during  the  night  on  the  platform 
of  the  church.  He  will  be  charged  to  ring  the  bells 
at  the  first  sight  of  a  fire,  and  to  light  a  beacon  to 
indicate  its  direction. 

"  If  you  accede  to  this  request  I  will  have  a  wicket 
pierced  in  the  wall  of  the  church  tower  the  nearest 

to  the  City  Hall. 

"  TRUDEAU, 
"  Recorder  and  Acting  Mayor. 


—  104  — 

The  Wardens  favored  the  idea  and  thenceforth 
a  watchman  stood  on  the  platform  of  the  church  and 
kept  a  sharp  lookout  on  any  glare  that  could  ma- 
terialize into  a  fire. 

The  above  quotations  are  but  a  few  of  the  many 
pages  of  the  book  that  prove  interesting.  Details 
trifling  in  themselves  are  of  considerable  importance 
when  we  look  upon  them  as  facts  illustrative  of  the 
life  and  manners  of  the  old  colonial  days  in  Louisiana. 

It  is  chiefly  in  this  respect  that  a  close  perusal 
of  the  archives  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  is  of  the 
highest  importance  to  those  who  wish  to  get  or  give, 
not  a  romantic,  but  a  true,  real  and  vivid  picture  of 
the  past. 

These  registers  constitute  a  precious  mine  of 
information,  and  too  much  care  cannot  be  taken  to 
protect  and  preserve  them  against  the  ravages  of  time 
or  the  depredations  of  men. 

The  present  incumbent  of  the  rectorship  of  the 
Cathedral,  Eight  Rev.  J.  M.  Laval,  understood  fully 
this  necessity,  and  under  his  care  the  records  of  old, 
which  were  slumbering  openly  on  dusty  shelves,  have 
been  classified  and  locked  up  in  a  large  and  secure 
safe. 

Every  morning  the  faithful  custodian  turns  the 
heavy  doors  on  their  hinges  and  the  light  of  day 
throws  a  lively  touch  of  color  on  those  venerable 
registers  that  speak  of  birth  and  marriage  and  death 
as  if  they  were  the  only  data  of  human  life. 


PART    III. 

AROUND 
THE    CATHEDRAL. 


CHAPTER   I. 
THE   OLD   SAINT   LOUIS   CEMETERY. 


SUCCESSIVE  LOCATIONS  OF  THE  EARLIEST  CEMETERY  OF  NEW 
ORLEANS  —  INSCRIPTIONS  OF  HISTORICAL  INTEREST  — 
LESSONS  ON  LIFE  LEARNED  FROM  THE  DEAD. 


The  old  Saint  Louis  Cemetery  is  the  natural  out- 
growth of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  and  stands  with 
it  among  the  oldest  and  most  interesting  landmarks 
of  the  historical  city  of  New  Orleans. 

There  is  nothing  gorgeous  in  its  inclosure,  no 
carefully  tended  lawns,  no  level  stretches  of  green, 
no  pebbled  alleys  or  flowers  in  perennial  blossoms. 

Everywhere  Time  has  left  its  wasting  mark  and 
whoever  saunters  within  its  superannuated  walls 
falls  a  victim  to  the  mystic  silence  which  begets  the 
memories  of  the  past. 

Many  writers  and  commentators  have  endeavored 
to  trace  the  history  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cemetery 
back  to  its  origin,  but  lack  of  documentary  evidence 
has  given  rise  to  various  opinions  as  to  its  date  of 
foundation,  original  location  and  dimensions. 

Dr.  Erasmus  Fenner,  in  his  "  Southern  Medical 
Eeports,"  published  in  1850,  seems  to  advocate  the 
most  plausible  theory  on  this  subject.  "  In  the 
earliest  days  of  the  city,"  says  the  Doctor,  "the 
cemetery  was  situated  in  the  rear  of  the  Cathedral, 
near  the  '  Place  d'Armes.'  But  the  number  of  build- 
ings, increasing  with  the  population,  gradually  gained 


—  108  — 

more  and  more  ground,  and  the  cemetery  was  moved 
to  another  location  much  further  in  the  rear  of  the 
city.  Even  now,  it  is  again  inclosed  within  the  walls 
of  this  ever-growing  town,  and  the  time  is  not  distant 
when  the  dead  shall  have  to  give  place  to  the  living." 

This  hypothesis  on  the  first  location  of  the  old 
Saint  Louis  Cemetery  is  confirmed  and  supplemented 
by  a  document  which  determines,  if  not  the  exact  loca- 
tion, at  least  the  successive  removals  of  the  cemetery. 

This  document  dates  back  to  1820,  and  is  based 
upon  a  discussion  between  the  ecclesiastic  and  civil 
authorities. 

At  this  time  the  Trustees  of  the  Cathedral  were 
ordered  by  the  City  Council  to  remove  the  Catholic 
Cemetery,  because  it  was  situated  too  near  the  resi- 
dential section  and  might  prove  a  menace  to  public 
health.  The  Trustees  then  sought  another  location, 
but  no  suitable  one  could  be  found,  and  the  matter 
dragged  until  1823,  when  the  order  was  renewed  in 
more  severe  terms,  judging  from  the  answer  of  these 
worthy  Wardens. 

Being  accused  of  bad  will  and  the  intention  to 
evade  the  laws  enacted  for  the  public  walfare,  they 
presented  their  defense  in  three  long  pages  filled 
with  assurance  and  cutting  irony.  The  following  is 
an  extract  from  the  whole,  written  in  the  pompous 
style  characteristic  of  those  days : 

"The  Corporation  of  the  Trustees  Administrators 
of  the  property  of  the  Saint,Louis  Catholic  Church, 
being  fully  convinced  that  the  first  authority  in  the 
State  cannot  be  inspired  by  other  principles  than 
those  that  concern  public  walfare,  welcomes  the  com- 
ing of  the  time  when  it  can  clear  itself  of  the  unjust 


—  109  — 

imputation  made  against  it  by  a  few  individuals,  and 
submits  to  the  Legislature  the  reasons  of  fact  and 
law  which  prevented  it  from  complying  with  the  city 
ordinances  relating  hereto." 

The  petitioners  cite  the  rights  of  the  church  on 
the  matter  and  conclude  as  follows: 

"  By  said  documents,  we  find  the  Superior  Council 
under  the  French  Government,  the  Cabildo  under 
the  Spanish  domination,  and  consequently  the  City 
Council  which  has  succeeded  them,  have  been  obliged 
and  are  to  provide  a  cemetery  for  the  burial  of  the 
Catholics.  The  ground  originally  set  aside  for  this 
purpose  was  given  up  for  another  tract  of  land 
between  Saint  Peter  and  Toulouse  streets.  The 
Church  made  use  of  it  up  to  1788,  when  the  Cabildo 
ordered  the  removal  of  this  cemetery  to  its  present 
location.  And  we  read  in  an  act  dated  November  14th, 
1800,  that  the  said  Cabildo  has  set  apart  this  place 
out  of  the  lands  belonging  to  the  city  and  promised 
to  have  it  fenced  and  filled  out  of  its  own  funds^be- 
cause,  having  deprived  the  Church  of  its  cemetery,  it 
was  its  duty  to  fully  indemnify  it. 

"This  brief  exposition  of  the  most  essential  facts 
shows  that  the  accusation  made  against  the  Trustees 
in  not  removing  the  cemetery  really  falls  upon  the 
City  Council. 

"  To  this  powerful  array  of  facts  we  will  add  as 
concisely  as  possible  the  law  on  the  subject:  l  There 
is  a  principle  acknowledged  by  all  the  civilized 
nations  of  the  earth,  which  is  the  basis  of  all  civil 
contracts  and  the  foundation  of  our  Constitution, 
viz:  That  no  one  can  be  deprived  of  his  property 
without  a  full  compensation.  This  universally  re- 


—  110  — 

spected  principle  becomes  still  more  binding  when 
applied  to  a  discussion  involving  the  ownership 
of  public  property  destined  to  the  most  sacred  use.' 

"Being  convinced  that  the  Legislature  will  adopt 
some  measure  for  the  removal  of  the  cemetery  from 
its  present  location,  the  Trustees  cannot  recommend 
with  sufficient  force  that  the  law  passed  for  that 
purpose  impose  on  the  City  Council  the  obligation  of 
respecting  the  place  where  rest  the  ashes  of  our  rela- 
tives, friends  and  fellow-citizens  by  preserving  it 
forever  as  a  cemetery.  Scandalous  would  it  be  if 
some  day  would  witness  the  sale  of  that  sacred 
ground  which  even  the  most  barbarous  nations  hold 
in  great  veneration." 

The  following  gentlemen,  Trustees  of  the  Saint 
Louis  Cathedral,  signed  the  petition:  G.  B.  Labatut, 
L.  Cavalier,  ]$".  Cauve,  Marih  Argote,  Simon  Cucullu, 
P.  Eousseau,  F.  Duplessis,  N.  Girod,  C.  L.  Blache, 
H.  Landreaux  and  J.  B.  Wiltz. 

The  historical  problem,  therefore,  concerning  the 
original  foundation  and  site  of  the  Old  Saint  Louis 
Cemetery,  resolves  itself  thus: 

The  ground  for  the  Catholic  Cemetery  was  first 
given  by  the  French  Government  to  the  Saint  Louis 
Parochial  Church  when  New  Orleans  was  founded  in 
1718,  and  the  gift  was  confirmed  "de  jure  et  facto" 
by  the  Spanish  Cabildo. 

The  cemetery  was  originally  situated  in  the  rear 
of  the  church  as  was  the  common  custom  in  those 
days.  But  in  1743,  the  city,  having  grown  consider- 
ably, the  cemetery  was  removed  and  transferred  near 
the  city's  ramparts,  between  Saint  Peter  and  Tou- 
louse streets.  Finally,  in  1788,  and  for  the  same 


—  Ill  - 

reason,  the  Spanish  Cabildo  had  it  removed  a  little 
further,  to  its  present  location. 

According  to  a  certain  tradition,  the  "Old  Saint 
Louis  Cemetery"  originally  extended  as  far  as  Earn- 
part  street,  the  pyramidal  monument  which  now 
stands  at  its  entrance  being  then  about  in  the  middle 
of  the  site.  Later,  the  burial  ground  was  encroached 
upon  and  the  tombs  on  the  border  were  leveled  and 
covered  by  Basin  street.  This  is  confirmed  by  a 
map  preserved  in  the  City  Museum,  as  also  by 
recent  excavations  made  in  the  middle  of  Basin 
street,  which  brought  to  light  quantities  of  human 
bones.  Therefore,  it  is  beyond  doubt  that  the 
Catholic  Cemetery,  which  was  transferred  in  1788  to 
the  other  side  of  the  city's  ramparts,  now  known 
as  Eampart  street,  originally  extended  to  these 
ramparts  and  included  the  adjoining  ground  now 
covered  by  Basin  street. 

Later  on,  a  similar  encroachment  happened  on 
the  other  side  of  the  cemetery,  as  it  is  substantiated 
by  the  following  inscription: 

"HERE  LIE 

THE  REMAINS  OF  SEVERAL  OF  THE  FAMILY  OF 
ROBERT  LAYTON, 

of  This  City, 

Tlte  Whole  Being  Removed  to  This  Place  on  December  10th,  1SS8, 

in  Consequence  of  the  Opening  of  Tr6m6  Street 

by  the  City  Authorities. 

As  the  Old  Saint  Louis  Cemetery  is  still  open 
to  burials,  it  follows  that  after  many  discussions  and 
appeals,  the  Trustees  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral 


—  112- 

finally  had  the  best  of  the  question  brought  up  by 
the  City  Council  in  1820,  and  also  in  1823,  asking  for 
a  removal  of  the  cemetery  to  a  further  location. 
Since  that  time  the  question  has  often  been  agitated, 
but  it  now  involves  more  cemeteries  than  this,  the 
mother  of  burying  grounds  in  New  Orleans,  for  the 
city  has  extended  miles  and  miles  beyond  the  ancient 
boundaries,  and  cemetery  after  cemetery  has  been 
encroached  upon  and  surrounded  by  the  homes  of  the 
living.  Public  opinion  is  respected  by  law,  the 
common  sentiment  being  that  the  graves  of  the  loved 
and  lost  must  not  be  disturbed. 

In  the  Old  Saint  Louis  Cemetery,  it  is  true,  the 
dead  lie  so  close  together  that  there  is  almost  no  room 
for  the  erection  of  another  tomb ;  but  the  cemetery 
opens  its  vaults  to  those  who  are  the  direct  heirs  of 
the  soil,  and  the  oldest  families  of  the  "vieux  carre" 
still  bring  hither  their  dead  to  place  beside  the  re- 
mains of  their  ancestors. 


The  Old  Saint  Louis  Cemetery  deserves  more 
than  a  passing  uotice.  No  other  spot  in  New  Orleans 
so  recalls  the  past  with  all  its  history,  chivalry,  sen- 
timent and  romance.  It  is  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years  since  it  has  been  open  to  burials;  during  that 
time  funeral  processions  have  daily  crossed  its  thresh- 
old, conveying  tbither  the  dead  of  all  ages  and  of 
all  countries. 

Walk  along  tbe  tortuous  alleys,  read  the  old  in- 
scriptions buried  beneath  the  tall  weeds,  and  you  will 
find  there  the  whole  history  of  the  city  since  the  pur- 
chase of  Louisiana  by  the  United  States.  The  writer 


—  114  - 

has  searched  the  whole  cemetery  and  found  tliat  the 
oldest  epitaph  extant  does  not  go  back  further  than 
1SOO.  It  is  traced  on  a  small  wrought  iron  cross  and 
reads  as  follows : 

NAXICTTK  F.  DE  BAILLY, 

Died  the  24th  of  September,  1800. 

Aged  45  Yearn. 

Though  the  Saint  Louis  Cemetery  contains  tombs 
of  wealthy  families,  none  but  the  monument  of  the 
"New  Orleans  Italian  Benevolent  Society"  has  an 
artistic  value.  The  different  pieces  of  this  mausoleum 
were  imported  from  Italy,  where  they  were  carved. 
Three  life  size  statues  in  marble  representing  Faith, 
Italy  and  Motherhood  adorn  the  monument.  It  is 
not  perhaps  the  grandest  nor  the  richest  mausoleum 
in  the  cijty,  but  it  seems  to  be  the  one  which  embodies 
the  purest  forms  of  funeral  architecture. 

The  Saint  Louis  Cemetery  appeals  poorly  to  the 
artistic  sense,  but  it  is  a  spot  of  absorbing  interest  to 
those  who  know  and  love  the  past.  Within  its  an- 
cient precincts  rest  the  remains  of  those  who  were 
the  makers  of  the  city's  history;  the  sturdy  emi- 
grants who  came  from  the  Old  AVorld  to  give  to 
their  ambition  a  larger  field;  men  who  figured  promi- 
nently in  the  early  history  of  the  State,  others  who 
Avorked  and  achieved  nothing.  There  they  lie  all  side 
by  side,*  some  whose  names  are  still  remembered, 
others,  for  the  most  part,  buried  forever  in  oblivion. 

New  Orleans  is  "par  excellence"  a  cosmopolitan 
city,  and  this  fact  cannot  be  better  illustrated  than 
by  reading  some  of  the  inscriptions  chosen  at  random 
from  among  the  tombs  in  the  Old  Saint  Louis  Ceme- 


Photo  C.   M.  C. 


GAYAISRK  AND  DE  BOR£E'S  TOMB. 


-  116- 

tery.  Almost  all  the  nations,  even  remote  China,  are 
represented  among  the  foreigners  who  rest  then-  lie- 
side  the  children  of  the  land.  Some  of  the,  resident 
foreigners  have  even  formed  national  societies  and 
own  a  common  tomb:  such  as  "  La  Soeiete  Francaisede 
Bienfaisance,"  "Societad  I'ortnguesa  de  liencfi 
cencia,"  the  "  Coin  pa  ilia  de  Voluntaries  Catalane.s," 
and  others  of  minor  importance. 

In  the  rear  of  the  cemetery,  in  the  same  simple. 
old-fashioned,  oven-shaped  tomb,  rest  two  men  who 
left  an  undying  name  in  the  annals  of  our  city:  the 
one,  Etienne  de  Bore,  the  planter  who  first  succeeded 
in  granulating  sugar:  the  other,  his  grandson,  Charles 
Gayarre,  the  famous  historian  of  Louisiana. 

In  the  same  section  of  the  old  graveyard  rises  a 
tomb  in  the  form  of  a  fort.  It  is  sacred— 

To  TIIK  MKMOISY  OK 
CLAUICK  DIMJALDK  CI.AIIJOKNH, 

The   Yoitnyevt  Daughter  of  Martin    Dnraide  of  .Ittaknjmx, 
and    I  fife  of   n'illiain   C.   Cltdbonie,   Uoccrnor 

of  the  Territory  of  Orleans. 

Died  on  the  ,.'!>tl<  of  Xore-mbi'i;   /.v/.'/, 

in   tin-   .'1*1    Yutr  i  >f  I  It-)-  Agv. 

In  the  tomb  next  to  the  latter,  on  the  left  side, 
lies  buried  — 

MYKA  CI.AI:K  GAINKS. 

/>il  n</liter  of 

Daniel  Clark  and  /idin<    ('iirriere, 
Died  ./unitary  Hth,    /A.s.7, 


liest  in    I'eaee. 

Erected  by  Her  Lor'nig  Godchild, 
Mi/ni   Clark  (iitiinx  Mazerat. 


—  US  — 

Daniel  Clark  was  the  American  Consul  in  New 
Orleans  during  the  Spanish  regime,  and  was  claimed 
by  Myra  Clark  Gaines  as  her  lawful  1'ather:  a  claim 
Out  of  which  grew  the  litigation  of  Myra  (.Mark 
Gaines,  which  became  famous  throughout  the  country. 
Mrs.  Gaines  spent  her  life  proving  her  rights,  and 
after  fifty  years  it  was  finally  decided  in  her  favor 
by  the  United  States  Supreme  Court. 

The  city  of  Xew  Orleans  had  to  pay  the  claims, 
which  amounted  to  thousands  of  dollars  and  involved 
some  of  the  most  valuable  city  property.  She  is 
buried  beside  her  father,  Daniel  Clark,  whose  grave 
had  fallen  into  titter  decay.  Myra  Clark  Gaines 
Mazerat,  a  prominent  lady  who  resides  in  New  ( )rleans 
and  who  was  liberally  remembered  by  Mrs.  (iaines  in 
her  will,  restored  the  ruined  grave  and  built  above  it 
a  monument. 


Further  back  in  the  rear  of  the  cemetery  in  an 
enclosed  corner,  amid  weeds  of  tremendous  height, 
rest  the  remains  of  several  brave  soldiers  who  foughi 
and  laid  down  their  lives  for  their  country  in  the  war 
with  England. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  epitaphs  that  are 
still  visible: 

Ix  MKMOHY  OF 

BKXKDICT  FRANCIS  PKADEI.LES, 
Born  in    /lai/eii.r,   in   the  French    Flnitders, 

Auguxt  .;/.w,    11',',. 

He  Served  Duriuy  the  American  Jlerolution  ax  ait 

Officer  in  the  French  Army. 

December  23rd,  1814. 


Pholo  C.  M.  C. 


A  FOKLORX  ALLEY. 


—  120  — 

ERECTED  TO  THK  MEMORY  OF 

WILLIAM  PARMFEE, 
A  Native  of  New  England, 

Who   Was  Killed  in  the  Defense  of  the  City  of  New  Orleans, 

in  the  liattle   With  the  British  Army, 

December  23rd,  1814. 


SACRED  TO  THK  MEMORY  OK 

WILLIAM  P.  CAM  BY, 
Midshipman  of  the   U.  S.  Nan/,    Horn  (Norfolk), 

Aiiyuxt  Kith,   17W, 
Who  Fell  in   That  Inequal  Conquest 

JMiceeti  the   U.  S.   Gunboat  Squadron  and  the  Jlrifiali   Flotilla, 

on  Lake  Sorgne,  Near  New  Orleans, 

December  14,   IS  14. 

What  a  lesson  it  is  to  look  upon  these  abandoned 
tombs,  and  how  pitiful  after  all  is  human  greatness. 
There  sleep  heroes  who  bravely  gave  their  lives  for 
the  defense  of  their  own  City  and  State,  and  yet  there 
are  none  today  to  show  them  the  simple  tribute  of 
gratitude  and  re.spect  by  even  so  small  a  thing  as 
keeping  their  graves  in  good  order. 


Not  far  from  those  who  died  on  the  battlefield  in 
defense  of  Xew  Orleans,  lies  buried  a  youth  who  fell 
under  the  "dueling  oaks,"  a  victim  of  honor,  one  of 
the  too  many  who  at  this  time  sought  vengeance  at 
the  point  of  a  foil,  or  mistook  their  right  with  their 
skill  of  marksman. 

HERK  ALSO  RKSTS  THK  BODY  OF 

MICAJAH  GREEN  LEWIS, 
Brother  of  Eliza  Claiborne  and  I'rirate  Secretary 

to  Governor  Claiborne, 

Who  Fell  in  a  Duel  on  February  14th,  1805, 
In  the  20th  of  Bis  Age. 


—  121  — 

With  the  dead  made  self-illustrious  by  their 
deeds,  are  the  dead  illustrious  by  reason  of  their  birth, 
for  some  inscriptions  bear  names  and  titles  among 
the  oldest  of  the  European  nobility,  notably  the 
following : 

To  HER  Sox, 

ALBERT  MOXTECUCCOLI  LADERCHI, 

Born  March  .:/>(]<,  JX.'!>,  Died  August,  1853, 

His  Mother  Fraying  for  the  Repose  of  His  Soul. 

clialntette,   Countess  MontecuccoU  Laderchi, 

Born   Princess  Cettiugen    WaUenstein. 


Ci  GiT 
DEMOISELLE  ANNE  BARBE  DOMINIQUE, 

Xce  ft  Madrid  1'an  1771, 
Dece'de'e  le  .'.'  JuiUet  1808, 

Fille  Legitime  de  Feu  Jean  Itodolplte,  Baron  de  Brouner, 

Lieutenant  Colonel  des  Armees  de  S.  M.  C., 

i-t  de  Dame  Camille  Carpona  de  Spinola. 

Illustrious  neither  by  birth  nor  by  deeds,  but  full 
of  promise  for  a  successful  life,  was  the  obscure 
young  man  who  lies  beneath  the  following  touching 
inscription : 


122 

SACHKD  TO  TIM:  MKMOKY  OK 
RlCHAUD, 

Only  Sun  of  1,'iehai'tl  ami   Lncretitt    Lair. 

lilio  ('a nif  to    'I'll in   Country  Xoreinher,  ISlf, 

Cnder  the  Fluttering  Annpifex  of  <i   Ceiieroim  and 

Jfininlerexted   I 'a  Iron. 

The  Sang ni nr.  Ardor  of  a    Youthful   Imagination 
Led  Hint   to   Look  l-'onrard  to  tin'    rime 
When  hi/   Diligent'?  tind  Frugality 
Evert/  Sacrijice    U'oiild   I!r  lle/iaitl 
By  Hix   Helitrning    With  a 
To   Ilix   I'tireiitx  niitl 
It  Pleased  the  Almighty  God,   IUxjioner  of  Our  Ue»tiiii<'*, 
To  ('otiruiff    l'x  of  the  /Ht'.ertainty 

of  All  Earth  I //   I/tijipinextt. 
He  Fell  a  Victim  of  the   Yel/oir   Ferer 

September  Hit  It,    1X09, 

Aged  Ttcenty-three    }'earx  and   Ten   Monthn. 
"A   Father's  Hope,  a    Mother'*  Joy." 

Is  not  this  cemetery  a  world  in  itself  ?  From 
all  parts  of  the  earth  (he  dead  are  here:  they 
belong  to  all  the  degrees  of  society,  made  equal  in 
death!  All  await  in  the  majestic;  silence  of  the 
tomb  the  great  awakening. 

The  "Old  Saint  Louis  Cemetery  "  is  something 
more  than  an  historical  landmark.  Through  the 
spectacle  of  death  it  speaks  of  life,  and  nowhere  may 
we  recall  with  a  deeper  sense  of  their  significance 
the  immortal  lines  of  the  poet : 

"  Life  is  real,  Life  is  earnest, 
And  the  grave  is  not'its  goal  ; 

Dust  thon  art,  to  dust  returneth, 
Was  not  spokeii  of  the  soul.'' 


CHAPTER  II. 

ST.  ANTHONY  MORTUARY  CHAPEL. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  A  SHRINK  —  LAST  YEARS  OF  A  SOLUIKK  PRIEST 
—  Sr.  ANTHONY  CHAPEL  UKCOMKS  AN  ITALIAN  PARISH 
CnuitCH. 


At  the  corner  of  North  Rampart  and  Conti 
streets  stands  the  old  Mortuary  Chapel  of  New  Or- 
leans, known  in  our  days  as  the  Church  of  Saint 
Anthony  of  Padua.  Ham  part  street  marked  the 
ancient  limits  of  the  city  laid  out  by  Bienville,  the 
street  having  been  so  named  because  of  the  strong 
redoubt  which  ran  along  it  in  colonial  days. 

As  the  city  spread  beyond  its  primitive  limits, 
the  moat  which  ran  through  the  centre  of  the 
neutral  ground,  or  present  car  track,  was  filled  in ; 
beautiful  shade  trees  were  planted  along  the  way  on 
either  side;  the  outlying  section  of  the  ancient  city 
gradually  became  a  resident  portion. 

This  rapid  growth  of  old  New  Orleans,  which  a 
few  years  before  had  caused  the  City  Council  to 
order  the  removal  of  the  Old  Saint  Louis  Cemetery  to 
a  further  location,  operated  in  1811)  as  a  powerful 
argument  with  the  authorities  to  urge  upon  the 
Trustees  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  the  erection 
of  a  mortuary  chapel,  whence  the  dead  would  be 
directly  conveyed  from  their  abode,  and  thence  to 
the  adjoining  cemetery,  thus  avoiding,  as  the  Mayor 
explained,  "those  funeral  processions  which  are  but 


—  124  — 

too  apt  to  scatter  throughout  the  city  the  fatal  mi- 
asma of  fever." 

It  is,  therefore,  to  the  City  Council  that  the  old 
Mortuary  Chapel  owed  its  origin.  The  negotiations 
began  in  June.  1S1!>.  In  consequence  of  a  motion  put 
before  the  City  Council,  and  adopted,  the  Mayor 
wrote  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral. 
offering  them  part  of  the  lots  bordering  on  the  paro- 
chial cemetery.  "  This  land,1'  the  Mayor  said,  "  would 
be  sold  to  the  Trustees  at  :i  moderate  price,  if  they, 
in  their  well-known  devotcdness  to  the  public  welfare, 
would  have  a  mortuary  chapel  erected  there." 

The  proposal  of  the  City  Council  was  accepted, 
and  Mr.  Caisergues,  President  of  the  Trustees,  was 
charged  to  reach  an  agreement  with  the  Mayor  on 
the  subject.  Unfortunately,  the  Cathedral  was  very 
much  in  need  of  money  at  this  time,  the  parish  fund 
having  been  drained  by  the  erection  of  a  new  steeple. 
the  purchase  of  a  town  clock  and  an  organ.  So  this 
project,  like  many  others,  fell  through  for  lack  of 
means. 

The  question,  however,  was  not  forgotten,  and  in 
September,  1824,  the  City  Council  renewed  the  pro- 
position, recalling  the  negotiations  opened  a  few 
years  before,  and  the  willingness  of  the  Trustees  at 
that  time  to  comply  with  the  request.  The  treasury 
of  the  Cathedral  being  now  in  a  better  condition,  the 
Trustees  appointed  a  committee  to  meet  the  Mayor 
and  carry  out  the  desires  of  the  City  Council. 

December  29,  1825,  the  negotiations  were  com- 
pleted. The  lots  offered  by  the  city  were  bought  by 
the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  at  a  cost  of  *  llT>  each.  The 
deed  of  sale,  properly  made  out  and  signed,  was  de- 


-  126  - 

posited  in  tlic  archives  of  Felix  <le  Armas.  a  Notary 
Public;. 

Once  in  complete  and  undisputed  possession  of 
the  grounds,  the  Trustees  of  the  Saint  Louis  Cathe- 
dral at  once  proceeded  to  carry  out  the  idea  of  erect- 
ing the  Mortuary  Chapel,  and  in  September,  182(5, 
issued  a  call  for  competitive  bids.  The  bid  made  by 
Messrs.  Guillot  &  Gurlie  was  given  the  preference. 
According1  to  their  plans  the  building  was  to  be  40 
French  feet  in  width,  80  feet  in  length,  and  24  feet 
in  height.  The  total  cost  of  the  chapel,  with  the 
guardian's  house  and  the  wall  of  inclosure,  was  to 
amount  to  $14,000,  payable  in  installments  according 
to  the  contract.  While  the  building  was  in  course  of 
erection,  however,  several  alterations  in  the  way  of 
improvements  were  incorporated  in  the  original  plan, 
and  the  total  cost  of  the  buildings  thus  raised  to 
about  $17,000. 

The  work  was  prosecuted  with  great  rapidity. 
and  on  Wednesday,  October  14, 182G,  at  half-past  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  corner  stone  of  the  chapel 
was  laid  by  Rev.  Antonio  de  Sedella,  the  famous  and 
beloved  Pere  Antoine  who  played  such  a  part  in  rlie 
early  history  of  New  Orleans.  Pere  Antoine  was 
assisted  by  his  clergy;  the  Trustees  of  the  Saint  Louis 
Cathedral,  the  Mayor,  the  City  Council  and  the  Re- 
corder of  the  city  were  also  present  at  the  ceremony. 
Within  a  few  months,  quaint  and  beautiful,  and  in 
keeping  with  the  ancient  Spanish  style  of  architec- 
ture which  prevailed  in  New  Orleans,  the  Mortuary 
Chapel  arose.  Even  before  its  completion,  a  custo- 
dian, whose  name  was  Louis  Vallegas,  was  appointed 
and  given  a  salary  of  $21  a  month.  At  the  same  time 


—  127  — 

the  City  Council  hastened  to  bring;  into  execution  the 
sanitary  measures  it  desired  to  inaugurate,  and  issued 
tbe  following;  decree.  September  29,  1827: 

"  The  Trustees  of  the  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church, 
having  informed  the  City  Council  that  the  Mortuary 
Chapel  erected  near  the  Saint  Louis  Cemetery  is  now 
completed,  the  City  Council  hereby  resolves : 

u  That  from  the  first  of  November,  it  is  forbidden 
to  take  to,  or  to  expose  a  corpse  in  the  Saint  Louis 
Parish  Church,  under  the  penalty  of  $50,  to  be  levied 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Corporation,  against  any  one 
who  shall  have  taken  to  or  exposed  a  corpse  in  the 
aforesaid  church.  Any  priest  who  shall  perform  a 
funeral  ceremony  in  the  same  church  shall  be  liable 
to  the  same  fine.  Henceforth  the  dead  shall  be  con- 
veyed to  the  Mortuary  Chapel,  where  the  funeral 
rites  shall  be  performed. 

(Signed)  "  D.  PRIEUE, 

"  Eecorder. 

"Approved  September  26,  1827. 

u  ROFFIGNAC, 

u  Mayor." 

December  27,  1827,  after  the  mass,  and  in  pres- 
ence of  the  civil  authorities,  Pere  Antoine  blessed  the 
new  sanctuary. 

As  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  was  the  only 
Catholic  church  in  the  city,  and  the  Old  Saint  Louis 
Cemetery  the  only  Catholic  cemetery,  funerals  came 
in  large  numbers  every  day,  and  soon  the  custodian 
was  unable  to  call  the  priests  of  the  Cathedral  to' 
perform  the  rites.  Father  Tomero,  who  appears  to 
have  been  a  missionary  priest,  being  aware  of  this 


—  128  — 

state  of  affairs,  offered  himself  as  chaplain  of  the 
Mortuary  Chapel,  and  was  accepted  at  a  salary  of 
$30  a  month.  The  appointment  of  a  resident  chaplain 
forms  the  actual  starting  point  of  the  Church  of 
Saint  Anthony  of  Padua. 

It  continued  to  be  used  as  a  mortuary  chapel 
until  about  1860. 

During  forty  years  and  more,  from  the  time  that 
Pere  Antoine  first  chanted  there  the  "  De  Prof  undis," 
and  the  "  Eequiescat  in  Pace,"  its  portals  were  daily 
open  to  funeral  processions,  and  its  walls  re-echoed 
the  unchanging  and  solemn  liturgy  of  the  Church 
over  her  dead,  "  Eternal  rest  give  unto  them,  oh, 
Lord,  and  let  perpetual  light  shine  upon  them." 

How  many  hundreds  of  this  old  Franco-Spanish 
city  have  spent  within  the  venerable  walls  of  the  old 
chapel  their  last  hour  at  the  light  of  day,  God  alone 
can  tell. 

In  1853,  just  after  the  terrible  epidemic  of  yellow 
fever,  the  City  of  New  Orleans  had  far  outgrown  the' 
purpose  for  which  the  Ancient  Mortuary  Chapel  was 
founded.  All  over  the  city,  from  Carrollton  to  the 
Barracks,  were  scattered  churches,  Catholic  and  Pro- 
testant. To  these  churches  the  dead  had  been  borne 
in  one  of  the  most  fatal  visitations  of  yellow  fever 
that  New  Orleans  had  ever  known.  It  seemed  to 
everyone  the  height  of  absurdity  to  apply  to  the 
Saint  Louis  Cathedral  Parish  alone,  the  sanitary 
regulation  of  1827,  regarding  the  burial  of  the  dead. 
The  city  had  outgrown  the  regulation,  and  the  old 
Mortuary  Chapel  had  outlived  the  original  purposes 
for  which  it  had  been  founded.  The  same  law  that 
applied  to  other  churches  in  permitting  funeral  ser- 


—  129  — 


vices  to  be  held  within  their  portals,  now  applied 
to  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral,  and  the  use  of  the 
old  chapel  for  mortuary  purposes  was  gradually  dis- 
continued. 


Some  ten  years  afterwards  was  attached  to  the 
Saint  Louis  Cathedral  as  assistant  the  great  soldier 

priest  of  the  Confeder- 
acy, Rev.  Father  Tur- 
gis.  His  famous  record 
in  the  great  struggle 
between  the  States  is 
not  only  a  matter  of 
Southern,  but  of  na- 
tional history.  When 
the  struggle  ended  the 
hearts  of  the  old  sol- 
diers followed  their 
friend  and  father,  and 
evening  after  evening 
his  room  in  the  Old  St. 
Louis  Presbytery  was 
FATHER  TURGIS.  thronged  with  his  com- 

rades of  the  Old  Or- 
leans Guard  and  Pointe  Couple  Artillery.  Finally  the 
survivors  of  these  two  historic  commands  thought 
that  Father  Turgis  ought  to  have  a  church  for  him- 
self, and  so  they  petitioned  the  sainted  Archbishop 
Odin  to  give  him  a  parish.  Having  no  other  church 
to  offer  the  warrior  priest,  Archbishop  Odin  gave  him 
the  old  Mortuary  Chapel  on  North  Earn  part  street, 
and  there,  day  after  day,  the  faithful  old  priest  said 


Photo  C.  M.  C.        From  a  Crayon  in 
Memorial  Hall. 


—  130  — 

mass  with  members  of  his  old  guard  kneeling  around. 
The  walls  of  that  little  church  and  presbytery  could 
unfold  the  most  beautiful  tale  of  brotherly  love  could 
they  speak,  for  the  small  pension  allowed  Father  Tur- 
gis  by  the  boys  in  gray  was  all  distributed  in  alms 
to  the  old  and  helpless  Confederates,  who  used  to 
style  him  their  Guardian  Angel.  About  the  quaint 
old  confessional  were  grouped  every  Saturday  night 
the  old  soldiers  who  had  followed  him  so  faithfully 
during  the  bloody  war.  Around  the  Communion  table 
they  would  gather,  and  the  few  survivors  who  are  still 
among  us  love  to  relate  how  evening  after  evening 
found  not  less  than  fifteen  or  twenty  of  the  old 
soldiers  gathered  in  his  room  in  the  presbytery  just 
back  of  the  chapel.  They  represented  every  creed ; 
they  loved  him  and  delighted  to  recount  with  him 
the  days  that  had  so  bitterly  tried  their  hearts  and 
souls. 

Father  Turgis  died  in  the  little  back  room  of 
the  old  presbytery  of  Saint  Anthony's  Church. 
Almost  his  last  words  were  :  "  I  have  seen  death  so 
often  that  I  do  not  fear  it  now."  His  remains  were 
exposed  in  the  old  chapel  and  here  was  chanted  above 
them  the  Solemn  Kequiem  Mass.  No  funeral  in  New 
Orleans,  except  that  of  Jefferson  Davis,  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Confederacy,  ever  attracted  such  a  crowd 
to  the  city.  From  all  parts  of  the  State  the  Confed- 
erate veterans  came  to  the  old  chapel.  The  streets 
were  thronged  for  blocks  around.  Hundreds  of  men 
and  women  followed  the  funeral  on  foot.  All  the 
survivors  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  and  of 
the  Army  of  Tennessee  followed  the  remains  to  their 
last  resting  place  in  the  New  Saint  Louis  Cemetery, 


—  131  — 

where  a  beautiful  monument  lias  been  raised  to  Father 
Turgis'  memory  by  the  Army  of  Tennessee. 


Immigration  from  Italy  began  to  pour  into  New 
Orleans.  It  soon  became  apparent  to  the  Archbishop, 
Most  Rev.  Napoleon  Joseph  Perche',  that  more  special 
provision  had  to  be  made  for  the  religious  guidance 
of  these  emigrants.  For  some  years  there  had  stood 
in  Esplanade  street,  near  the  Levee,  a  frame  building 
which  was  called  the  Chapel  of  the  Resurrection.  It 
was  devoted  exclusively  to  the  use  of  Italian  emi- 
grants, and  Rev.  Father  Cajone  was  in  charge.  In 
the  early  '70s  he  had  as  assistant  in  his  work  Rev. 
Father  Manoritta,  than  whom  no  Italian  worker  be- 
came better  known  in  New  Orleans. 

In  January.  1875,  Archbishop  Perche  decided  to 
convert  the  old  Mortuary  Chapel  into  a  parish  for 
the  Italians,  and  lie  named  Rev.  Father  Manoritta  as 
rector.  The  ancient  edifice,  which  had  from  its  founda- 
tion served  as  an  annex  to  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral, 
was  now  entirely  severed  from  connection  with  it, 
and  became  a  distinct  parish  church  for  Italians 
under  the  name  of  Saint  Anthony  of  Padua's  Church. 
The  following  is  the  first  record  found  among  the 
parish  ""archives:  "This  day,  January  25,  1875,  I 
have  baptized  the  first  person  ever  baptized  in  this 
church  of  Saint  Anthony  of  Padua.  Signed,  Father 
Manoritta,  formerly  chaplain  of  the  Chapel  of  the 
Resurrection."  The  church  continued  in  charge  of 
Father  Manoritta  until  November  5,  1902,  when  he 
resigned  the  rectorship  to  spend  his  last  days  in  his 
native  Italy.  The  last  baptism  recorded  by  Father 


—  132  — 

Manoritta  is  dated  November  2,  1902.  On  Xovember 
5, 1902,  His  Grace,  the  lamented  Archbishop  Chapelle. 
placed  the  Church  of  Saint  Anthony  of  Padua  in 
charge  temporarily  of  the  late  Rev.  Father  Widman, 
S.  J.,  who  continued  to  administer  its  affairs  for 
eleven  months  until  October  1,  1903,  when  Arch- 
bishop Chapelle  confined  the  care  of  the  Italian 
people  to  the  Spanish  Dominican  Fathers,  and  placed 
Saint  Anthony's  Church  in  their  charge.  The  rector 
of  the  church  is  Very  Rev.  Thos.  Lorente,  O.  P.  He 
is  one  of  the  famous  Philippine  Friars,  having  been 
professor  in  the  University  of  Saint  Thomas,  at 
Manila.  He  served  as  Secretary  to  Most  Rev.  P.  L. 
Chapelle,  while  the  latter  was  Apostolic  delegate  in 
the  Philippine  Islands,  immediately  after  the  close 
of  the  late  war  with  Spain.  Through  the  zeal 
of  the  Dominican  Fathers  the  little  congregation, 
scattered  all  over  the  city,  has  grown  considerably. 
Many  of  the  old  customs  of  the  churches  of  Italy 
still  maintain  here  and  the  feasts  are  celebrated  with 
elaborate  ceremonies. 

Once  it  was  feared  that  the  ancient  landmark 
would  be  given  over  to  the  pickaxe  and  hammer  of 
demolishers,  and  that  travelers  would  be  seen  hur- 
rying onward  in  the  busy  rush  of  commerce  and 
pleasure,  to  the  spot  where  once  men  went  for  medi- 
tation and  prayer.  But  such  a  fate  seems  to  have 
been  conjured,  and  the  ironclad  monster  engines 
that  once  menaced  not  only  the  existence  of  Saint 
Anthony's  Chapel,  but  of  the  Old  Saint  Louis  Ceme- 
tery beyond,  now  roll  on  between  both,  bringing  in 
close  touch  the  restless  activity  of  the  Jiving  and  the 
eternal  stillness  of  the  dead. 


CHAPTEE   III. 
THE   OLD   URSULINE   CONVENT   (ARCHBISHOPRIC). 


PIONEERS  OF  FEMALE  EDUCATION  IN  AMERICA  —  MEMORABLE 
JOURNEY  OF  THE  URSULIXK  XUNS— A  TRIUMPHAL  PAG- 
EANT— A  MUTE  WITNESS  OF  THE  PAST. 


The  first  Ursuline  Convent  ranks  with  the  Cathe- 
dral and  the  Old  Saint  Louis  Cemetery  among  the 
most  interesting  landmarks  of  2Tew  Orleans. 

The  devouring  tooth  of  time  has  eaten  into  the 
blue  gray  stucco  which  once  covered  its  massive 
walls,  but  not  a  vestige  of  its  old  aspect  has  departed, 
and  although  battered  and  decayed,  the  old  convent 
is  .still  one  of  the  largest  and  strongest  buildings  of 
the  "OldCarreV' 

It  is  even  more  than  an  old  mansion  ;  it  is  a  relic 
of  the  past,  a  household  of  souvenirs,  a  living  witness 
of  the  wonderful  story  of  the  Ursulines  that  reads 
like  a  romance  in  our  day. 

Let  the  visitor  stop  at  the  porch  and  recall  the 
seemingly  endless  journey  of  the  pious  voyagers 
from  Hennebon ;  then  religious  awe  and  deeper 
respect  will  escort  him  throughout,  where  lived  and 
died  those  whose  purity  of  life  has  been  equaled  only 
by  the  firmness  and  devotion  they  showed  in  uphold- 
ing this  higher  standard  of  womanhood  of  which  the 
daughters  of  Louisiana  give  so  noble  a  living  ex- 
ample. 

Just  a  few  years  after  having  transferred  the 
Capitol  of  Louisiana  from  Mobile  to  Xew  Orleans, 


—  134  — 

Governor  Bienville  thought  to  secure  some  teachers 
to  educate  the  girls  of  the  colony.  A  boys'  school 
had  been  already  opened  by  a  Capuchin  monk,  Father 
Ce'cil,  who  taught  his  pupils  in  a  house  adjacent  to 
his  monastery,  near  the  parish  church. 

At  first  Bienvillo  turned  to  his  native  country, 
Canada,  to  enroll  some  "  Sceurs  Grises,"  but  his 
project  proved  impracticable. 

He  then  consulted  Father  Beaubois,  Superior  of 
the  Jesuits,  who  offered  to  apply  to  the  Ursulines  of 
Rouen.  After  much  deliberation  a  treaty  was  con- 
cluded, September  13X  1726,  by  which  these  pious 
ladies  engaged  to  supply  teachers  and  nurses  for 
New  Orleans. 

A  lady  bearing  the  somewhat  singular  name  of 
Tranchepaiu,  was  appointed  superioress.  She  was  a 
convert  from  Calvinism,  and  had  taken  the  veil 
among  the  Ursulines  in  1699.  All  the  nuns  chosen 
for  the  Louisiana  mission  assembled  in  the  monastery 
of  Hennebon,  in  Brittany,  to  acknowledge  as  their 
superioress  Marie  Tranchepain  of  Saint  Augustine, 
January  1,  1727.  On  the  27th  of  January,  1727,  the 
nuns  looked  their  last  on  Paris,  whence  they  jour- 
neyed to  Lorient,  delayed  by  execrable  roads  and  bad 
weather,  but  bright  and  cheerful  under  all  contrari- 
eties. On  February  22  they  bade  adieu  to  their  country 
"  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  poor 
savages."  They  sailed  on  the  "  Gironde  "  with  the 
Jesuit  Fathers  Tartarin  and  Doutreleau  and  "  Frere 
Crucy,"  who,  with  Madeleine  Hachard,  a  novice, 
being  the  youngest  of  the  party,  considered  it  "  their 
duty  to  amuse  the  rest." 


—  135  — 

The  voyage  Lad  its  chroniclers,  and  every  inci- 
dent is  vividly  described  in  the  letters  and  diaries  of 
Mother  Tranchepain  and  Sister  Hachard.  These  nuns 
wrote  with  ease  and  elegance,  and  one  cannot  read 
their  narratives  without  interest.  It  would  take  too 
long  to  give  details  of  this  seven  months'  journey 
from  Paris  to  New  Orleans  over  the  stormy  Atlantic, 
among  the  West  Indian  Isles,  on  the  Caribbean  Sea 
and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  up  the  Mississippi. 
Besides,  no  words  can  describe,  in  these  days  of  rapid 
travel  with  Pullman  boudoirs  and  ocean  palaces,  the 
sufferings  of  those  u  who  went  down  to  the  sea  in 
ships,"  a  hundred  and  eighty-one  years  ago.  Now 
they  were  threatened  with  a  watery  grave,  again 
with  starvation  and  thirst;  ouce  the  ship  barely 
escaped  hostile  corsairs ;  later  they  encountered 
savages  of  so  peculiarly  ferocious  a  type  that  they 
murdered  by  slow  tortures  all  the  whites  whom  they 
captured  and  made  every  victim  drink  his  own  blood. 

The  scenery  and  the  trials  of  the  last  days  of 
this  journey  were  a  befitting  climax  to  the  voyage. 
Probably  no  scene  on  earth  was  so  bleak  and  dreary 
as  was  the  entrance  from  the  Gulf  to  the  Mississippi, 
nearly  two  hundred  years  ago.  An  interminable 
waste  of  waters,  a  vast  morass  impassable  for  man 
or  beast,  shoals  and  bars,  low  strips  of  coast  covered 
with  poplars,  prairies  of  reeds,  a  wilderness  of  cane 
brakes,  the  mouths  of  the  river  strewn  with  drift 
wood  and  half  choked  with  wrecks — these  greeted 
the  voyagers. 

As  they  ascended  the  river,  forests  that  seemed 
co-eval  with  the  creation  itself  opened  before  their 
eyes ;  here  and  there  were  seen  a  solitary  hut  for 


—  136  — 

pilots,  stretches  of  green  savanna,  gaunt  trunks  of 
trees  stuck  fast  in  the  sand,  gigantic  cypress  shrouded 
in  funeral  moss,  half  surmerged  in  the  yellow  waves. 
Gloom  and  magnificence  everywhere  mingled  ;  fishes 
disporting  themselves  ruffled  the  old  gold  surf  ace  of  the 
melancholic  river;  blue  cranes,  like  flying  skeletons, 
hovered  about  the  little  flotilla;  swarthy,  half  nude 
natives  in  pirogues  and  chaloupes  glided  among  the 
wondrous  waves,  shimmering  in  the  mystic  charm  of 
the  summer  sunlight.  "Neverlesss,  the  trials  and 
fatigues  of  our  five  months'  voyage,"  writes  Sister 
Hachard,  "  are  not  to  be  compared  with  what  we 
had  to  endure  in  our  fifteen  days'  journey  from  the 
Gulf  to  New  Orleans,  a  distance  of  thirty  leagues." 
On  August  7th,  1727,  the  nuns  reached  the  city 
of  which  our  chronicler  gives  the  rather  flattering 
description :  "Itis  very  handsome, well  built  and  regu- 
gularly  laid  out.  The  streets  are  wide  and  straight; 
the  houses  wainscoted  and  latticed,  the  roofs  sup- 
ported by  whitewashed  pillars  and  covered  with 
shingles,  that  is,  thin  boards  cut  to  resemble  slates, 
and  imitating  them  to  perfection.  *  *  *  The  colon- 
ists sing  that  their  town  is  as  beautiful  as  Paris.  But  I 
find  a  difference.  The  songs  may  persuade  those 
who  have  never  seen  the  capital  of  France.  But  I 
have  seen  it,  and  they  fail  to  persuade  me."  To  tell 
the  truth,  the  country,  save  for  a  small  space  around 
the  church,  was  thickly  wooded  to  the  water's  edge, 
and  the  trees  were  of  prodigious  height.  The  squares 
and  streets  laid  out  by  engineer  La  Tour  were 
still  mostly  on  paper.  Since  the  hurricane  of  1728 
had  swept  away  the  cabins  of  the  first  settlers,  it  is 
true,  colonists  were  slowly  rebuilding  the  town  on 


—  138  — 

a  scale  of  comfort  and  splendor  which  surprised 
and  delighted  the  nuns.  A  crayon  sketch  carefully 
preserved  in  the  present  convent,  gives  a  lively  repre- 
sentation of  the  "Landing  of  the  Ursulines."  The 
nuns  are  in  procession,  wearing  the  ample  garb  of 
their  Order.  Sister  Hachard's  fine,  strong  lineaments 
are  partially  concealed  by  the  flowing  white  veil  of  a 
novice.  Father  Beaubois  presents  them  to  the  Capu- 
chins of  the  parish  church,  and  points  out  the  Indians 
and  negroes,  their  future  charges.  A  negress  holding 
a  solemn  ebony  baby,  regards  the  group  with  awe 
and  wonderment.  A  beautiful  squaw,  decked  with 
beads  and  shells,  surrounded  by  plump  papooses, 
half  reclining  with  natural  grace  on  a  log,  and  a 
very  large  Congo  negro  has  stopped  his  work  and 
betaken  himself  to  the  top  of  a  wood  pile  to  gaze 
leisurely  on  the  scene.  Claude  Massy,  an  Ursuline 
postulant,  carries  a  cat  which  she  tenderly  caresses, 
and  another,  "  Sister  Anne,"  is  searching  a  basket 
for  something ;  both  wear  the  high  peaked  Normandy 
cap.  Franciscans  heavily  bearded,  and  Jesuits  in 
large  cloaks,  appear  in  the  distance.  Immense  trees, 
which  have  long  since  disappeared,  overshadow  the 
whole  group.  The  picture  is  a  most  interesting  and 
valuable  relic,  probably  the  only  one  in  existence 
which  shows  all  together  the  first  schoolmasters  and 
schoolmistresses  of  New  Orleans  and  of  Louisiana. 

Governor  Perier,  his  wife  and  all  the  people  wel- 
comed the  nuns  as  risen  from  the  dead,  for  they  had 
been  given  up  as  lost. 

As  the  building  intended  for  them  was  not  com- 
pleted, Bienville's  country  house,  the  best  in  the 
colony,  was  offered  to  them  provisionally.  It  was 


—  139  — 

a  two-story  edifice  with  a  flat  roof  used  as  a  bel- 
videre  or  gallery,  situated  on  Bienville  street,  be- 
tween Koyal  and  Chartres  streets.  Six  doors  gave 
ingress  and  egress  to  the  apartments  on  the  ground 
floor.  Large  and  numerous  windows,  with  sashes 
covered  with  fine  linen,  let  in  as  much  light  as  glass. 
From  the  roof  the  nuns  might  gaze  on  a  scene  of 
weird  and  solemn  splendor.  Swamps  and  clumps  of 
palmetto  and  tangled  vines;  the  surrounding  wilder- 
ness with  groups  of  spreading  live  oaks  (chenieres) 
cut  up  by  glassy  bayous,  was  the  home  of  reptiles, 
wild  beasts,  vultures,  herons  and  many  wondrous 
specimens  of  the  fauna  of  Louisiana. 

The  Sisters  at  once  began  to  teach  the  children 
and  extend  their  cares  to  the  sick,  the  Indians  and  the 
colored  folk.  Sister  Hachard  praises  the  docility  of 
the  children,  "  who  can  be  molded  as  one  pleases." 
She  says  that  it  is  easy  to  instruct  the  negroes  once 
they  have  learnt  French,  but  "impossible  to  baptize 
the  Indians  without  trembling,  on  account  of  their 
natural  propensity  to  evil,  particularly  the  squaws, 
who,  under  an  air  of  modesty,  hide  the  passions  of 
beasts." 

The  hospital  of  the  Sisters  usually  had  from 
thirty  to  forty  patients,  mostly  soldiers.  Everything 
was  so  well  arranged  that  the  officials  said  it  was 
useless  for  them  to  continue  their  visits,  as  there  was 
nothing  for  them  to  do.  At  first  the  iufirmarian  nun 
watched  the  nurses,  but  ere  long  she  took  sole  charge. 
The  sick  could  not  say  enough  in  praise  of  their 
"mothers,"  who  would  gratify  their  tastes  when  it 
could  be  done  without  prejudice  to  their  health. 
"  We  bless  God  for  the  success  of  this  Christian 


—  HO  — 

work,"  writes  Sister  Hacbard.  "The  spirit  of  our 
holy  institute  shows  itself  in  the  good  our  Sisters  do 
for  souls  while  attending  to  the  wants  of  the  body." 

The  community  which  thus  auspiciously  began 
the  work  of  education  in  Louisiana  consisted  of  eight 
professed  members,  one  novice  and  two  candidates. 
Bienville's  country  house, which  had  been  turned  into  a 
convent,  soon  became  too  small  for  the  number  of  ever 
increasing  pupils.  Unfortunately  the  convent,  which 
was  in  course  of  construction  at  the  other  extremity 
of  the  town,  did  not  show  any  encouraging  signs  of 
progress.  The  Indian  Company  had  promised  to  have 
it  ready  in  six  months,  but  the  construction  dragged 
along  considerably  and  the  six  months  lengthened 
out  to  seven  years.  The  gentlemen  who  had  be- 
gun this  work  with  a  relative  diligence,  had  grown 
weary,  and  neither  tears  nor  solicitations  could  pre- 
vail on  them  to  supply  the  material  and  finish  the 
work. 

Tradition  asserts  that  the  nuns  quitted  Bienville's 
villa  to  live  for  a  time  on  the  plantation  they  had  re- 
ceived from  the  Indian  Company  for  their  support. 
Nun  street,  a  short  street  flanked  with  cotton  presses 
and  opening  on  the  levees,  is  commonly  designed  as 
the  site  of  this  country  house,  and  Religious  street, 
Notre  Dame  street,  Annunciation  street  and  Teresa 
street  seemed  to  have  formed  a  kind  of  network  over 
what  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  Ursuline  plan- 
tation. 


At   last  the   convent,  promised  by  the  Indian 
Company  and  under  construction  since  seven  years, 


—  141  — 

was  completed.  The  nuns,  who  had  been  at  a  time  dis- 
heartened by  so  long  an  expectance,  again  became 
hopeful  and  made  their  removal  to  the  new  monastery 
the  occasion  of  one  of  the  most  elegant  pageants  ever 
seen  in  this  city.  On  Saturday,  the  13th  of  Julyr 
1734,  just  as  the  nuns  resolved  to  postpone  their  de- 
parture indefinitely  on  account  of  a  rain  which  had 
lasted  three  days,  the  sun  bursted  out  suddenly  from 
the  cloudy  heavens,  and  in  his  brilliant  light  and 
tropical  heat  the  waters  soon  subsided.  The  nuns 
took  the  sudden  clearing  of  the  sky  as  a  good  omen, 
and  at  o.  p.  M.  all  their  bells  rang  out  to  announce 
their  intended  departure.  Bienville,  whose  third 
term  (1733-174:3)  had  recently  begun,  soon  appeared 
in  the  convent  chapel,  where  the  nuns  knelt  for  the 
last  time.  Fathers  Beaubois  and  Petit,  and  Brother 
Parisel,  Jesuits ;  Fathers  Philip  and  Pierre,  Capu- 
chins, and  the  most  distinguished  people  of  the 
place  surrounded  the  brilliantly  lighted  altar,  and 
the  troops,  half  French  and  half  Swiss,  drew  up  on 
either  side  of  the  old  Bieuville  mansion,  which  had 
served  as  a  convent  for  the  past  seven  years.  This 
venerable  house,  that  saw  the  Nbeginning  of  the  Ur- 
sulines  in  Louisiana,  and  in  which  died  the  brave  and 
gentle  superioress,  Mother  Augustine  Tranchepain,  on 
Xovember  11,  1733,  was  destroyed  in  the  dreadful 
conflagration  of  Good  Friday,  1788. 

After  the  benediction,  given  by  Father  Philip, 
assisted  by  Fathers  Beaubois  and  Petit,  all  left  the 
chapel  in  procession,  the  citizens  opening  the  march. 
Then  came  the  children  of  the  orphanage  and  the 
day  school  pupils,  followed  by  forty  of  the  principal 
ladies  of  the  city,  bearing  torches;  next  twenty 


—  142  — 

young  girls,  robed  and  veiled  in  the  purest  white,  ;ind 
twelve  others,  representing  Saint  Ursula  and  her 
11,000  companions.  The  boarders,  orphans  and  day 
pupils  carried  wax  tapers.  The  young  lady  who 
personated  Saint  Ursula  wore  a  costly  robe  and  a  regal 
mantle  of  tissue  of  silver.  Her  crown  glittered  with 
pearls  and  diamonds,  and  a  veil  of  the  richest  lace  IV11 
about  her  in  graceful  folds.  She  bore  in  her  hand 
a  heart  pierced  with  arrows,  made  with  wondrous 
skill.  Fair  children  arrayed  as  angels  surrounded 
her,  and  all  waved  palm  branches,  emblematic  of  the 
glorious  victory  won  by  the  heroic  virgin  martyrs, 
whom  they  had  the  honor  to  represent. 

At  the  end  of  the  procession  came  the  nuns  with 
lighted  candles,  and  the  clergy  carrying  a  rich 
canopy,  under  which  the  Most  Blessed  Sacrament 
was  borne  in  triumph.  Bieuville  and  his  staff,  the 
Intendant  of  the  province,  Mr.  Salmon,  and  the  whole 
population  formed  their  escort.  The  soldiers  moved 
in  single  file  on  either  side,  about  four  feet  from  the 
procession.  Hymns  were  sung  by  all,  the  accom- 
paniment of  fifes  and  drums  making  pleasing  har- 
mony ;  Brother  Parisel,  in  surplice,  acted  as  master  of 
ceremonies,  and  perfect  order  and  decorum  gave  to 
the  display  the  last  touch  that  crowns  a  thorough 
success. 

This  moving  panorama  of  light,  color  «rvnd  beauty 
halted  between  the  Saint  Louis  Parish  Church 
and  the  "Place  d'Armes,"  and  defiled  gracefully 
down  the  aisles  of  the  church,  the  troops  kneeling 
and  presenting  arms  to  do  honor  to  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  The  nuns  knelt  within  the  sanctuary, 
and  Father  Philip  placed  the  "Veiled  Saviour"  on 


—  143  — 

the  altar,  while  soldiers,  robed  as  acolytes,  were 
swing-ing  censers,  from  which  arose  delicate  perfumes. 
The  congregation  remained  prostrate  till  Father 
Petit,  the  orator  of  the  occasion,  ascended  the  pulpit. 
In  a  sermon,  described  as  most  eloquent  by  the  nun 
whose  facile  pen  has  embalmed  these  precious  details, 
he  set  forth  the  necessity  and  advantages  of  giving 
young  persons  a  solid  Christian  education.  In  glow- 
ing words  he  congratulated  the  nuns  on  their  labor 
to  this  great  end,  so  conducive  to  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  welfare  of  the  colony.  At  the  close  of  this 
touching  address,  the  soldiers  sang  hymns,  and 
Father  Philip  gave  the  Benediction. 

When  the  procession  wound  out  of  the  church, 
the  torches  and  tapers  were  not  superfluous;  the 
sun  was  setting,  but  the  afterglow  remained  for  a 
while,  burnishing  the  lofty  trees  and  turning  the 
mighty  river  into  colors  of  molten  gold.  All  drew 
up  before  the  "  Place  d'Annes  "  and  the  bells  of  the 
new  monastery  rang  out  their  merriest  peals  as  the 
procession  moved  slowly  in  the  deepening  twilight. 

"  Thus  did  we  enter  our  new  abode,"  writes 
Madeline  Hachard,  "  amid  the  chiming  of  bells,  the 
music  of  fifes  and  drums,  and  the  singing  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving  to  our  Heavenly  Father,  whose 
loving  Providence  has  lavished  on  us  so  many  fa- 
vors." 

And  now  let  our  imagination  follow  the  nuns  in 
their  convent.  Those  who  know  the  old  monastery, 
our  present  Archbishopric,  will  be  interested  to  know 
that  the  ground  floor  had  a  small  chapel,  two  parlors, 
a  room  for  the  Mother  Superioress,  refectories  for  the 
Sisters  and  the  boarders,  community  rooms,  kitchen, 


—  144  — 

scullery  and  pantry.  On  the  next  floor  were  the  dor- 
mitories, infirmary,  sacristy,  linen  room,  wardrobe. 
The  orphans  occupied  part  of  the  upper  story;  the 
rest  was  used  as  an  instruction  room  for  colored 
women.  At  the  same  time  the  Indian  Company 
erected  a  separate  building  for  the  sick,  to  which  the. 
patients  were  removed  on  the  20th  of  August,  1734. 
This  addition  was  behind  the  convent,  and  faced 
Arsenal  street,  which  changed  its  name  to  Hospital 
street.  This  convent  sheltered  the  Ursulines  for 
ninety  years.  In  1821,  the  nuns  built  a  spacious 
monastery,  three  miles  below  the  city.  To  this  they 
removed,  without  ceremony  of  any  kind,  during  the 
vacation  of  1824.  At  first  three  nuns  and  a  novice 
took  up  their  abode  in  it  on  July  2Cth.  Two  weeks 
later  several  other  Sisters  and  the  boarders  followed 
the  superioress  and  others  remained  in  the  city  till 
the  closing  of  the  day-school  in  September. 

The  early  dwellers  in  the  new  home  had  many 
privations  to  endure;  having  no  cooking  apparatus, 
their  meals  were  sent  from  the  old  house.  Once  their 
caterer  did  not  come  till  evening,  nor  was  his  arrival 
a  source  of  comfort,  as  he  presented  only  empty 
dishes,  his  cart  having  upset  on  the  way.  Even  at 
this  time,  depredations  by  Indians  in  the  suburbs  of 
the  city  were  not  unknown,  and  the  nuns  were  so 
much  afraid  that  they  could  not  sleep.  Finally,  one 
of  the  bravest.  Sister  Marie  Olivier,  offered  to  keep 
watch  while  the  others  slept.  But  neither  Indians 
nor  other  robbers  made  their  appearance  in  her  hours 
of  patrol. 


—  146  — 

The  old  convent  in  Chartres  street,  which  was 
abandoned  by  the  Ursulines,  saw  various  uses.  In  1831 
the  Louisiana  State  House  having  been  destroyed 
by  fire,  the  Legislature  rented  the  ancient  edifice 
from  the  nuns,  and  held  several  sessions  within  its 
walls.  Shortly  after  the  lease  expired  the  Ursulines 
presented  it  to  the  Archbishop  of  New  Orleans  as 
a  place  of  residence. 

It  was  so  used  until  1899,  when  a  number  of  the 
Catholic  clergy  and  laity  purchased  the  old  Slocomb 
residence  in  Esplanad'e  avenue,  and  presented  it  to 
the  late  Archbishop  Chapelle  as  a  residence  for  the 
Archbishops  of  New  Orleans.  The  historic  old  site 
in  Chartres  street  is  still  known,  however,  as  "  the 
Archbishopric,"  and  is  used  for  the  transaction  of 
all  the  official  business  of  the  Archdiocese. 

Though  several  times  repaired,  the  venerable 
building  has  lost  nothing  of  its  antique  aspect;  all  of 
its  interesting  features  have  been  carefully  preserved, 
and  nothing  of  them  has  been  sacrificed  to  the  restless 
taste  for  modern  comfort.  Entering  through  the 
porter's  lodge,  in  the  door  of  which  is  the  usual 
convent  grating  or  "  guichet,"  as  it  is  called,  a  small 
garden  is  reached,  and  a  good  view  is  had  of  the 
venerable  building,  which  was  planned  after  the 
Tuscan  composite  style.  Crossing  the  garden,  the 
visitor  enters  by  an  old-fashioned  porch  a  large 
vestibule,  from  which  diverge  several  passages  lead- 
ing to  the  courtyard,  the  adjacent  Saint  Mary's 
Church,  and  to  various  parts  of  the  building.  The 
interior  remains  almost  in  its  original  state,  with  a 
curious  old  staircase,  heavy  doors,  and  cypress  floors, 
the  latter  so  worn  that  the  ill-fashioned,  old  hand- 


—  147  — 

made  nails  protrude.  The  walls  are  several  feet 
thick,  and  tlie  beams  and  rafters,  which  the  saw 
never  touched,  seem  as  strong  as  when  they  left  the 
forest.  In  the  dining  room,  which  has  natural 
panels  of  natural  cypress,  are  several  paintings, 
mostly  pictures  of  the  late  prelates  of  the  diocese. 

On  the  second  floor  are  the  offices  of  the  Arch- 
bishop, the  library,  the  guest-rooms  and  the  apart- 
ments of  the  Chancellor  and  other  attendants  of  the 
Archiepiscopal  household.  The  interior  gallery  opens 
on  a  square  of  green  lawn,  at  the  end  of  which  has 
been  erected  a  shrine  to  the  Virgin.  On  the  third 
floor  of  the  building  may  still  be  seen  the  quaint 
little  cells  of  the  nuns,  and  the  old-fashioned  desk  of 
the  community  room,  at  which  the  superioress  sat  and 
presided,  when  the  nuns  met  for  instruction  and 
prayer.  The  entire  building  is  covered  with  a  heavy 
peaked  roof. 

Just  at  the  corner  of  Hospital  and  Chart  res 
streets,  where  a  grocery  now  stands,  was  the  ancient 
burial  ground  of  the  convent.  When  in  1824  the 
nuns  removed  to  their  new  quarters,  near  the  Bar- 
racks, the  remains  of  the  deceased  members  were 
disinterred  and  reburied  in  the  cemetery  attached  to 
the  present  convent.  But  the  bodies  of  the  colored 
servants,  who  were  interred  in  front  of  the  convent, 
were  never  disturbed. 

Saint  Mary's  Church,  which  flanks  the  old  mon- 
astery on  its  left,  has  been  built  in  the  early  part  of 
the  last  century,  as  an  adjunct  to  the  Archbishopric. 
The  church  is  in  charge  of  the  Chancellor,  who  acts 
as  rector. 

The  three-story  brick  building  which  stands  at 


—  U8  — 

the  right  of  the  old  convent  was  built  under  the 
administration  of  Archbishop  Perehe.  It  served  as 
a  diocesan  seminary  for  over  a  decade.  It  is  now 
closed,  and  its  solitude  and  desertedness  harmonixe. 
somewhat,  with  the  sacred  atmosphere  of  the  old 
monastery,  filled  with  the  memories  of  the  past. 

And  now,  kind  reader,  that  you  have  followed 
the  gentle  nuns  from  the  country  home  of  Bienville 
to  their  convent  on  Chartres  street,  and  from  Chartres 
street  to  their  present  location,  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
city;  now  that  you  have  gone  through  the  old  monas- 
tery, noticing  the  ravages  of  time  and  changes  made 
by  men,  let  us  pass  through  it  a  last  time  with  the 
interest  which  arises  from  the  knowledge  of  the  past. 
Imagination  will  people  these  old  walls  in  a  moment. 

There  is  the  upper  story,  once  used  as  an  instruc- 
tion room  for  the  colored.  Dusky  girls  and  women 
came  thither  in  crowds  for  instruction,  advice  and 
consolation.  Thither,  too,  came  the  Indian  women, 
with  a  world  of  sorrow  in  their  large,  dark  eyes. 
Let  us  descend  and  look  through  the  various  apart- 
ments which  were  once  occupied  by  the  nuns  and 
their  pupils.  We  gaze  on  the  clumsy  gate  with  its 
small  "grille"  and  quaint  iron  knocker,  and  think  of 
those  who  passed  through  these  faded  portals.  The 
early  Capuchins  and  Jesuits,  old  "Father"  Bienville, 
the  honest  Perier  and  his  pious  wife,  and  the  first 
Ursulines  of  Louisiana.  See  how  they  crowd  up  from 
the  past,  not  shadowy  creatures  from  the  twilight 
regions  of  romance,  but  beings,  real  and  human,  and 
working  with  heart  and  soul  for  future  generations. 

The  "Grand  Marquis"  De  Vaudreuil  in  gilted 
casque  and  heron  plume,  the  pensive  "  Filles  ti  la 


—  150  — 

cassette,"  the  weeping  Acadians,  the  chivalrous  de- 
scendants of  MacCarthy  More,  the  scholarly  Ulloa, 
the  princely  O'Reilly,  the  dashing  Galvez,  the  lordly 
O'Farrell,  the  intellectual  Bishop  Penal ver,  the 
future  King  of  France,  Prince  Louis  Philippe,  and 
his  two  brothers;  Andrew  Jackson,  lean  and  hag- 
gard from  midnight  vigils,  but  illumined  and  glori- 
fied by  his  eagle  eye;  how  they  all  come  to  memory 
in  this  hallowed  spot,  so  full  of  religious  and  historic 
associations.  What  a  sacred  threshold  indeed  this  is ! 
Humble  missionaries,  chivalrous  knights,  stately 
dames  crossed  it-daily.  It  saw  painted  and  feathered 
Indians,  stern  squaws,  negroes  from  the  kraals  of 
Africa,  all  came  hither  to  be  consoled  or  learn  the 
secrets  of  a  better  land  from  those  who  had  re- 
nounced the  pleasures  of  the  world  for  their  sake. 

The  nuns  have  gone  long  since,  never  to  return 
again;  long  since  the  young  daughters  of  Creole 
lineage  have  ceased  to  fill  these  walls  with  life  and 
merriment ;  on  the  nearby  "  Place  d' Armes "  the 
white  banner  of  France  was  succeeded  by  the  broad 
standard  of  Spain,  which,  in  turn,  was  furled  to  give 
place  to  the  glorious  stars  and  stripes  of  young 
America.  Still  stands  the  old  Ursuline  Convent, 
by  far  the  oldest  building  in  New  Orleans  and  all 
Louisiana,  as  well  as  the  most  venerably  historic. 

It  was  truly  the  cradle  of  religion  and  education 
in  Louisiana.  May  these  walls,  which  enclose  so 
many  souvenirs  of  our  past,  and  whose  perennial  ex- 
istence seems  to  defy  the  destructive  hand  of  time, 
be  preserved  and  remain  a  monument  of  Catholic 
work  as  long  as  the  sun  throws  over  them  the  magic 
splendor  of  its  rays. 


GLORIES. 


A   CENTURY   OF   EPISCOPACY. 


The  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  enjoyed  the  same  priv- 
ilege as  the  illustrious  man  who  lives  long  enough 
to  witness  the  lasting  glory  with  which  time  crowns 
his  immortal  deeds. 

Twice  in  the  last  twenty  years  has  the  Old  Ca- 
thedral known  triumphant  days;  twice  in  its  honor 
flags  and  banners  were  unfurled,  cannons  boomed, 
and  people  by  thousands  crowded  its  spacious  aisles  to 
listen  to  orations  whose  echo  sounded  the  poem  of 
a  victorious  past. 

On  the  25th  of  April  the  Catholic  See  of  Xew 
Orleans  reached  its  hundredth  year.  The  day  dawned 
bright  and  beautiful,  ideal  in  coloring  and  rich  with 
the  golden  sunshine  of  the  tropical  spring  time.  The 
Old  Cathedra],  robed  in  its  glory  and  amidst  the 
ringing  of  bells  and  the  booming  of  artillery,  called 
the  people  to  celebrate  this  great  anniversary.  From 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  far  off  Canada,  from  the  Atlan- 
tic to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  the  chimes  of  the  Centennial 
Jubilee  sounded,  and  Xew  Orleans  witnessed  a  civil 
and  religious  demonstration  such  as  had  rarely  been 
seen  in  any  city  of  the  Union. 

The  erection  of  the  Episcopal  See  of  New  Orleans 
in  1793  marked  an  event  in  the  history  of  Louisiana ; 
the  celebration  of  its  hundredth  anniversary  in  1893 
chronicled  a  no  less  important  page  in  the  civil  and 
religious  records,  for  it  witnessed  a  union  of  hearts 
and  hands  between  clergy  and  laity,  Church  and 
State.  Protestants  and  Catholics  alike  felt  pride,  be- 


—  154  — 

cause  of  the  glory  of  the  ancient  days,  the  importance 
and  standing  of  the  See  of  New  Orleans,  and  the 
immense  influence  for  good  the  Catholic  Church  has 
proven  in  building  up  the  civilization  and  intellectual 
thought  in  Louisiana. 

For  months  the  most  elaborate  preparations  had 
been  in  progress  for  this  centennial  celebration.  Un- 
der the  auspices  of  Archbishop  Janssens,  the  work 
took  definite  shape,  meeting  with  immediate  and  em- 
phatic approval  not  only  from  the  vast  body  of 
Catholics  in  Louisiana,  but  also  from  distinguished 
government  officials  of  our  own  and  foreign  coun- 
tries. 

Cardinal  Gibbons,  the  beloved  prelate  who  stands 
at  the  head  of  the  Catholic  hierarchy  in  America, 
Archbishop  Ryan,  the  venerable  and  beloved  pastor 
who  enjoys  the  reputation  of  being  the  most  re- 
nowned pulpit  orator  of  the  country,  Archbishop  El- 
der, so  long  and  intimately  associated  with  Mgr. 
Janssens  in  the  field  of  Christian  works,  Very  Rev. 
Canon  Burchesi,  who  came  as  a  delegate  from  the 
Archbishop  of  Montreal ;  these  and  twenty  other  dis- 
tinguished bishops  who  were  holding  sway  in  what 
was  formerly  the  See  of  New  Orleans,  gathered 
within  the  hospitable  shades  of  the  Old  Cathedral, 
and  when  the  centenary  dawned  New  Orleans  held 
within  its  walls  the  most  notable  dignitaries  that  had 
ever  assembled  since  the  foundation  of  the  See. 

The  celebration  proper  began  with  the  setting  sun 
on  Monday  evening,  when  the  Louisiana  Battery 
Field  Artillery  fired  a  salute  of  fifty  guns  in  honor  of 
the  occasion.  The  next  morning  a  similar  salute  an- 
nounced to  the  people  of  New  Orleans  that  the  long 


Courtesy  of  Miss  M.  L.  Points. 

His  GRACK  MOST  REV.  F.  JANSSENS. 


looked  for  day  had  arrived  and  the  great  celebration 
had  begun.  Flags  and  banners  streamed  in  the 
breeze.  The  notes  of  martial  music  filled  the  air; 
the  Old  French  Quarter  seemed  to  have  wakened  to 
a  new  life  and  vigor,  and  from  every  direction  the 
people  poured  down  the  narrow  streets  leading  to  the 
Old  Cathedral  to  show  their  interest  and  pride  in  the 
great  centennial.  Every  element  of  the  community 
was  represented  in  that  heterogenous,  cosmopolitan 
throng :  rich  and  poor,  high  and  low,  white  and  col- 
ored, devout  and  curious,  all  pressed  eagerly  for- 
ward, packing  the  streets. 

The  Cathedral  within  and  without  told  the  story 
of  the  mile  stone  it  had  reached  in  its  glorious  history. 
The  entire  facade  presented  a  patriotic  display  of  the 
flags  of  all  nations,  hung  in  beautiful  array  from  the 
Cathedral  arch  doorway  clear  across  the  streets  on 
either  side  of  the  historic  Pontalba  buildings.  And 
thus  decked  in  patriotic  and  religious  garb,  the  an- 
cient Cathedral  awaited  the  coming  of  the  distin- 
guished pageant.  From  the  Archbishopric,  the  Old 
Ursuline  Convent,  moved  a  cortege  as  none  has  be- 
fore issued  from  its  gray  walls.  It  was  like  the 
picture  of  the  olden  crusades  dropped  in  the  lap  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century;  acolytes  and  priests  in  cassock 
and  surplice;  bishops  in  royal  purple,  with  miters 
and  golden  croziers  ;  archbishops  in  ermine  and  flow- 
ing robes  of  silk  and  gold,  and  the  brilliant  red  of  the 
cardinal  prince,  all  made  up  a  scene  grand,  imposing 
and  forever  memorable  in  its  character  and  historic 
features. 

As  the  majestic  pageant  approached  the  great 
Cathedral,  the  doors  flew  open  and  mid  the  solemn 


—  107  - 

hush  of  the  audience,  the  organ  pealed  forth  with 
orchestral  accompaniment  and  the  great  ecclesiastical 
parade  entered  the  church  to  the  swelling  strains  of 
the  grand  inarch  from  "  Le  Prophete". 

The  solemn  pontifical  mass  was  offered  by  Arch- 
bishop Janssens  himself  with  a  brilliant  retinue  of 
assistants  and  in  presence  of  the  Cardinal,  sixteen 
bishops  and  two  archbishops. 

After  the  Gospel,  Father  Hage,  the  eloquent  and 
talented  Dominican,  delivered  a  French  oration  so  ad- 
mirable and  appropriate  to  this  glorious  festivity  that 
we  cannot  help  giving  it  "in  extenso"  as  the  most 
befitting  conclusion  of  this  chapter. 

Your  Eminence,  Messeigneurs,  My  Brethren — God  has  placed 
in  the  life  of  a  people,  as  iu  the  life  of  each  individual,  marked 
mile-stones,  solemn  monuments,  which  offer  to  the  thought- 
ful mind  food  for  meditation -the  past,  with  all  its  struggles, 
its  failures  and  its  victories— the  present,  with  its  regrets  and 
thanksgivings  — the  future,  with  its  hopes  and  fears.  That  hour 
has  sounded  in  the  religious  life  of  Louisiana.  A  century  of  ex- 
istence ;  a  century  of  the  establishment  and  extension  of  this 
church!  For  all  Catholics  and  Louisiauians  here  is  a  subject 
worthy  not  only  of  the  most  profound  reflections,  but  also  of 
deepest  joy  and  pardonable  pride.  And  as  Catholics  and  Louis- 
ianians,  rejoicing  in  the  ancient  glory  and  grandeur  of  this 
church,  you  desire  to  mark  the  last  moments  of  this  centennial 
by  a  magnificent  demonstration  of  faith  and  piety,  by  trium- 
phant acclammations  and  songs  of  thanksgiving. 

Yes !  the  hour  which  marks  the  close  of  a  century  is  indeed 
a  solemn  one,  and  it  is  in  honor  of  this  hour  that  the  Old 
Cathedral  seems  to  grow  young  again  with  the  grace  and  beauty 
of  its  first  years.  Her  stateliness  and  grandeur  dazzle  our  eyes, 
yet  in  this  new  garb  we  do  not  know  which  to  most  admire,  the 
richness  or  the  simplicity.  Like  the  bride  of  which  the  Apo- 
calypse speaks,  she  is  robed  in  beauty  and  grace  to  celebrate 
worthily  the  memories  of  the  bridegroom  that  God  has  given 
her.  In  honor  of  this  hour  a  pious  procession  of  priests  and 


—  158  — 


laity  liave  traversed  the  streets  of  this  great  city,  amid  the 
cheers  of  the  joy  of  the  people,  and  under  the  powerful  shield 
of  that  great  safeguard  of  your  nation — freedom  and  liberty. 
In  fine,  it  is  to  celebrate  this  hour  that  we  have  all  assembled  in 
this  temple,  and  I  see  around  me,  in  the  government  which 
they  represent,  the  magistrates  Avho  honor  and  the  militia  who 
defend  it;  those  whom  the  country  counts  as  most  illustrious. 

It  is  always  beautiful 
to  .see  the  State  respond 
to  the  call  of  the  Church, 
as  it  i.s  always  beautiful 
to  see  the  Church  stretch 
out  its  hand  to  the  State, 
that  each  may  fulfill  its 
destiny. 

But  it  is  towards  you, 
Messeigneurs,  I  turn, 
who  above  all  direct  the 
hearts  of  this  assembly. 
Guardians  of  the  divine 
troops,  surrounding 
chieftains  of  twenty 
bishoprics,  who,  though 
a  number  are  now  de- 
tached from  this  metro- 
polis, have  nevertheless 
come  to  bring  to  your 
Mother  the  felicitations 
of  her  children,  to  bless 


Photo  B.  de  Villentroy. 

VERY  RKV.  H.  HACK. 


the  bond  which  unites 
you  to  her  and  to  tell  her  that  she  ia  one,  holy  and  indestructible. 

Your  Eminence,  this  festival  today  must  recall  to  you  the 
most  beautiful  and  glorious  memories.  Only  four  years  ago 
the  see  of  the  immortal  Bishop  Carroll  shone  with  a  new 
brightness.  The  lirst  Catholic  centenary  of  the  United  States 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  entire  world,  and  one  might  say 
on  that  day  the  church  militant  of  America  appeared  trium- 
phant. Your  Eminence  presided  at  that  fete,  and  ottered  to 
God  our  common  acts  of  thanksgiving. 

And  now,  my  brethren,  it  seems  to  me  that  to  be  faithful 
to  my  mission,  I  must  consider  with  you  this  passing  century 


—  159  — 

and  Ilie  road  to  it  traversed.  It  will  be  at  the  same  time  a 
recital  and  a  proof;  a  recital  of  your  combats  and  triumphs, 
your  sufferings  and  joys,  and  a  proof  of  the  mercy  of  God,  the 
blessings  of  religion  and  the  vitality  of  the  Church  and  the 
faith  and  piety  of  Louisiana.  Two  memorable  dates  present 
themselves  for  our  reflection  and  divide  this  discourse  into  two 
parts— 1793-1893. 

The  raillery  and  skepticism  of  the  eighteenth  century  was 
nearing  its  decline.  An  agitation,  amounting  almost  to  a  revolt, 
tormented  the  minds  of  men,  and  the  day  was  not  far  distant 
when  the  impious  doctrines  of  a  furious  populace  plunged 
France  into  one  of  the  most  bloody  catastrophes  history  has 
ever  chronicled.  '93  had  come,  and  with  it  a  train  of  persecu- 
tions, victims  and  deaths! 

Strange  coincidence,  or  rather  happy  disposition  of  divine 
wisdom,  that  offered  a  remedy  for  the  great  evils  on  the  other 
side  of  the  world,  by  sending  the  first  bishop  to  this  particular 
corner.  The  ideas  of  the  mother  country  penetrated  easily 
into  a  colony  which  could  not  forget  its  French  origin.  In 
Louisiana,  then,  was  needed  a  guardian,  an  overseer,  a  bishop, 
and  he  was  found  in  the  person  of  Monseigneur  Luis  de  Pen- 
alver  y  Cardenas.  And  thus  the  church  extending  her  vigorous 
branches,  sent  in  all  directions  the  most  hardy  explorers,  carry- 
ing Avith  them  the  light  of  faith  and  the  blessings  of  civiliza- 
tion. Quebec  at  the  north,  Baltimore  on  the  east,  and  New 
Orleans  on  the  south!  These  three  names  tell  at  once  how  the 
Church  took  definite  possession  of  the  American  soil. 

Founded  in  1718,  New  Orleans  had  already  completed  sixty 
years  of  its  existence  when  it  was  marked  out  as  the  See  of  a  new 
bishop.  Several  religious  communities  had  been  established ; 
the  Capuchins  and  the  Jesuits  preached  the  Gospel  to  the  people, 
•while  the  Ursuline  Nuns,  who  arrived  in  1727,  so  intimately 
blended  their  lives  with  your  own,  that  to  recount  their  history 
is  to  recount  the  history  of  this  city.  What  a  picture  it  pre- 
sents, this  infant  colony  of  France — struggling  valiantly  for  its 
rights  and  defense,  yet  gradually  learning  to  love  aod  appre- 
ciate the  Spanish  domination,  to  which  it,  at  length,  submitted 
faithfully,  while  waiting  for  Louisiana  to  pass  again  into  the 
hands  of  France.  This  happened,  but  scarcely  had  the  echo 
gone  forth,  when  Louisiana  was  transferred  to  the  United  States 
and  shortly  after  admitted  into  the  Union.  Then  began  for 


—  160  — 

her  an  era  of  prosperity,  because  it  was  an  era  of  full  and  entire 
liberty. 

Such  was  the  happy  portion  of  the  Church  in  the  United 
States;  the  privilege  of  developing  under  the  guidance  of  its 
pon tit's  and  priests  without  having  their  actions  shackled  by  the 
hatred  of  persecution  or  the  tyranny  which  destroys.  Rejoicing 
in  this  liberty  and  independence,  she  went  bravely  on,  keeping 
her  doctrines  intact  and  her  morals  pure,  attracting  towards 
herself  loyal  and  sincere  hearts  and  walking  ever  under  the 
guidance  of  the  light  of  Christ,  who  governs  it,  and  in  obe- 
dience to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff.  More  than  eighty-six  bishops, 
8000  priests  and  6,000,000  of  children,  form  the  forces  of  this 
pacific  army  of  the  church  of  America,  and  in  face  of  this  grand 
battalion,  of  which  the  ranks  increase  daily,  I  bow  my  head  be- 
fore their  standard,  upon  which  we  may  write  these  two  words  : 
"God  and  Liberty!" 

Nevertheless  this  liberty  was  one  day  menaced  in  the  his- 
tory of  Louisiana.  It  was  on  the  8th  of  January,  1815.  That 
date  recalls  the  most  glorious  combat  that  you  ever  sustained  ; 
the  day  on  which  you  maintained  your  independence.  The 
English  had  ascended  your  beautiful  river  and  stole  upon  you 
to  take  you  by  surprise,  with  bayonets  in  their  hands  and  con- 
quest in  their  hearts.  We  see  the  sight  of  the  advancing  hosts 
renewing  the  intrepidity  of  the  ancient  braves,  and  the  faith  of 
valiant  Christians,  as  in  the  middle  ages.  And  while  the  battle 
was  raging  in  Chalmette,  near  here,  in  the  chapel  of  the  I'rsu- 
line  Nuns  the  prayers  rose  heavenward.  This  battle  of  the 
power  of  prayer  against  the  power  of  the  sword  has  not  been 
without  example.  In  the  heroic  days  of  the  thirteenth  century 
a  battle  raged  under  the  same  conditions  of  the  inferiority  of 
host  against  host;  there,  too,  at  Muret,  in  its  courage  and  in  its 
prayer,  and  Chalmette,  like  Muret,  will  tell  to  all  generations 
what  man  may  accomplish  when  God  places  in  his  hands  his 
wisdom  and  all  powerful  guidance.  Three  thousand  Americans 
repulsing  14,000  British,  saving  a  city  from  the  horrors  of 
conquest  and  pillage,  and  retiring  with  ranks  crowned  with 
glory  and  hearts  beating  proudly  and  without  reproach,  left  to 
their  country  the  blessings  of  liberty  and  to  God  the  honor  of 
the  victory.  That  same  day  the  doors  of  the  Old  Cathedral 
opened  before  the  most  generous  of  these  brave  spirits  -  the  sec- 
ond bishop  of  New  Orleans,  Mgr.  Dubourg,  received  the  con- 


—  161  — 

queror,  who  advanced  with  holy  enthusiasm  to  the  middle  of 
the  sanctuary  and  offered  his  grateful  thanks  and  homage  to 
the  God  of  battles.  That  day  General  Jackson  grew  greater 
and  more  illustrious  in  the  eyes  of  men,  because,  in  the  midst  of 
his  victory,  he,  was  humble  before  God,  and  when  the  stranger 
visits  your  city  he  leaves  this  church  and  looks  upon  the  statue 
which  faces  it,  and,  drawing  near,  he  is  filled  with  thoughts 
which  recall  the  only  two  forces  in  the  world,  the  courage  of 
the  great  and  the  prayers  of  the  weak. 

And  now  shall  I  bring  to  your  minds  other  trials  which  have 
weighed  heavily  upon  your  shoulders ;  the  scourges  which 
decimated  in  a  few  hours  your  population,  the  inundations 
which  ravaged  your  country  and  caused  the  most  terrible  dis- 
tress ?  Shall  I  speak  to  you  of  that  last  civil  war,  of  which  the 
painful  effects  are  still  sadly  echoing  today?  You  know  all  this 
and  you  understand  how  the  Church  of  Louisiana  had  her  part 
in  the  sorrows  and  tears.  But  it  is  written  that  virtue  finds  its 
perfection  in  weakness,  that  trials  beget  patience,  and  patience 
salvation,  and  despite  all  the  obstacles  of  men  and  things,  be- 
hold this  church  of  a  century  in  age,  appears  before  your  vision 
happy  in  her  past  progress  and  confident  in  her  success  in  the 
future.  Yes,  progress,  for  we  have  every  reasou  to  rejoice  at  the 
flourishing  and  extensive  verifications  of  the  record  iu  this 
year  of  grace  1893.  And  above  all,  my  brethren,  God  has  pre- 
served in  your  hearts  the  precious  gift  of  faith.  Nay,  more,  He 
has  enriched  this  treasure  and  made  it  bear  fruit,  for  His  honor 
and  glory  and  for  your  happiness. 

It  is  a  recognized  and  acknowledged  faith  among  the  ancient 
residents  of  Louisiana  that  faith  and  piety  are  stronger  today 
than  ever.  The  spirit  of  Voltaire  and  Rousseau,  whose  deadly 
poison  was  infiltered  into  the  minds  of  the  preceding  generation, 
have  disappeared  and  given  place  not  only  to  the  actual  and 
complete  practice  of  religions  duties,  but  also  to  the  deepest 
respect  and  love  for  all  that  is  holy  and  sacred.  If  there  exists 
among  some  lukewarmness  and  forgetfulness,  there  are  among 
all  sincerity  and  a  desire  to  do  better.  Yes,  among  all!  for  in 
the  depths  of  your  soul  you  guard  the  convictions  which  give 
a  steady  and  luminous  faith,  which  augment  and  prompt  the 
most  generous  charities,  and  which  constitute  for  you  this  day 
the  most  glorious  title  of  children  of  the  faith.  I  go  a  step 
further,  and  I  find  that  this  church  of  Louisiana  enjoys  the  iu- 


—  162  — 

estimable  privilege  of  being  honored  and  loved  by  hearts  which 
were  not  of  its  fold,  hearts  in  which  it  found  confidence  in  its 
wisdom  and  help  in  its  needs.  Thanks  for  all  these  means 
which  Divine  Providence  placed  at  its  disposal,  enabling  it  to 
develop  and  extend  in  all  directions,  bringing  to  the  ignorant 
and  uncivilized  in  the  wildest  regions  the  name  and  knowledge 
of  the  Most  High,  illuminating  their  minds  with  the  light  of 
faith  and  their  hearts  Avith  the  fire  of  divine  love.  In  the  first 
centuries  of  the  Church,  in  proportion  as  its  missionaries  pene- 
trated into  the  bosom  of  infidel  countries  and  converted  the 
inhabitants  to  the  religion  of  Christ,  the  authorities  of  Rome 
placed  above  these  bishops  to  guide  and  direct,  and  the  creation 
of  an  episcopal  see  was  the  most  powerful  proof  of  the  progress 
and  conquests  of  the  church.  In  our  day  this  proof  has  lost 
none  of  its  ancient  force. 

Let  us  glance  around  at  the  first  territory  that  was  con- 
fided to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  first  bishop  of  New  Orleans.  It 
not  only  comprised  all  Louisiana,  Alabama,  Mississippi  and 
Florida  but  also  the  immense  district  extending  west  from 
the  great  Mississippi  river  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Today, 
twenty-five  bishops  hold  sway  in  this  region,  twenty-five  great 
cathedrals  rise  majestically  heavenward  as  branches  of  that 
church,  old  yet  ever  new,  radiant  with  hope,  filled  with  the 
strength  of  its  early  years,  and  growing  each  day  under  divine 
guidance,  as  the  hope  and  consolation  and  victory  of  its  people. 
And  here,  also,  in  New  Orleans,  my  brethren,  what  signs  of 
progress  do  we  not  see  1  What  has  become  of  the  little  village 
of  300  souls  that  was  founded  by  Bieuville?  What  a  splendid 
subject  could  have  been  reserved  for  my  discourse  if  it  had  not 
been  given  me  to  speak  of  the  material  development  of  your 
city. 

Is  it  not  evident  on  all  sides,  even  from  a  human  point  of 
view,  that  you  owe  to  God  the  great  proportion  of  your  present 
glory  and  prosperity  ?  But  there  is  another  subject  to  which 
I  wish  to  draw  your  attention.  I  have  already  spoken  to  you 
of  the  condition  of  the  parishes,  and  of  the  religious  community 
which  Mgr.  de  Peualver  found  established  on  his  arrival  in  this 
city. 

Cast  a  glance,  now,  at  this  entire  diocese,  and  admire  with 
me  the  flourishing  conditions  of  these  visible  signs  of  a  Christian 
country.  Parishes  have  multiplied  ;  more  than  a  hundred  and 


—  163  - 

teu  throw  open  each  Suuday  the  doors  of  their  temples  for  the 
worship  of  the  faithful,  and  subserve  the  spiritual  necessities 
of  three  hundred  thousand  Catholics.  Religious  orders  of  men 
and  women  are  all  represented  in  your  diocese  ;  the  SODS  of  Saint 
Benedict,  the  disciples  of  Saint  Alphousus,  the  Lazurists  and 
Marists  and  Fathers  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Ursnliues  and  Carmelites, 
Dominicans  and  Benedictines,  Mariauites  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
the  Family  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Ladies  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  and  Sisters  of  Saint  Joseph,  in  fine,  all  these  good  con- 
gregations and  many  others,  administer  to  every  need  of  the 
people,  and  Hud  an  answer  for  every  sorrow,  a  remedy  for  every 
suffering,  a  consolation  and  hope  in  every  trial.  And  what  an- 
swer does  Louisiana  give  to  the  magnificent  work  of  Catholic 
education — 86  parochial  schools  and  15  colleges  accommodate 
each  day  more  than  12,000  children,  and  give  them  not  only  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  profane  science,  but  also  the  higher  and 
more  important  science  of  divine  truth. 

Look  around  at  the  grand  orphanages  of  this  State  ;  their 
magnificent  institutions  that  pick  up  the  poor,  parentless  chil- 
dren and  rear  them  in  love  and  tenderness  with  the  care  and 
solicitude  of  a  true  Christian  mother  ;  those  Catholic  asylums, 
where  tutelary  walls  offer  them  a  home  and  protection  under 
the  shallow  of  the  cross  until  they  are  strong  enough  to  fight 
their  own  battles  in  the  great  race  of  life.  And  that  home,  built 
for  the  poor  and  aged  and  iufirined,  that  home  for  the  weary 
soul  left  in  second  childhood  homeless  and  alone,  with  eyes 
turned  lovingly  towards  the  tomb  ;  that  home  whose  doors  are 
open  to  shelter  and  protect  them,  and  which  ceases  not  its  ten- 
der watchful  care  till  brightening  the  darkening  evening  of 
life,  till  the  weary  eyes  are  shut  to  its  sorrows  and  open  to  the 
brightness  of  the  day.  The  words  of  the  Saviour  are  verified  to 
the  letter :  "Yon  have  always  the  poor  amongst  you."  These 
words  are  understood  in  New  Orleans,  and  a  holy  emulation  ani- 
mates religious  and  laity  to  present  to  the  all-pervading  sor- 
rows and  miseries  of  life  the  strong  and  powerful  phalanx  of 
charity.  And  to  what  do  we  owe  these  handsome  results  ?  That 
remains  for  me  to  tell  you. 

To  whom,  did  I  say  ?  To  yourselves,  my  brethren.  Yes,  I 
am  happy  to  have  learned  and  happy  to  have  the  privilege  of 
saying  that  among  you  there  live  ancient  Creole  families  whose 
virtuous  examples  and  deep  respect  for  Christian  traditions  have 


—  164  — 

successfully  seconded  the  Church  iu  all  its  efforts  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  faith  and  morals  and  education.  Descended  from 
French  or  Spanish  ancestors,  they  have  preserved  those  ideas 
of  right  and  justice,  chivalrous  sentiments  and  ardent  faith, 
and  holy  spirit  of  piety  which  are  indelible  characteristics  of 
their  two  mothers,  the  countries  separated  by  the  Pyrenees. 

And  with  you  we  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  those  zealous 
and  indefatigable  priests  and  missionnaries  who  explored  this 
country  in  every  direction,  grasping  souls  from  the  darkness  of 
error  and  ignorance  and  sin.  What  trials  and  labors  they  un- 
derwent to  redeem  the  soil  of  souls,  more  ungrateful  and  rebel- 
lious than  the  soil  of  daily  toil  for  existence,  traversed  by  the 
feet  of  man.  They  were  received  and  lived  in  the  midst  of 
poverty,  and  many  will  recall  that  one  of  these  heroic  men, 
named  Pere  Antoine,  lived  near  this  Cathedral  in  a  miserable 
cabin,  from  which  he  directed  the  hearts  of  the  people  iu 
the  love  and  fear  of  God,  and  the  light  radiated  from  that 
lowly  hut  still  shines  in  Louisiana  to-day  ;  all  of  which  proves 
that  the  people  understood  the  voice  of  self-abrogation  and 
loved  and  honored  those  who  practiced  it.  And  about  these 
priests  and  laity  of  the  Churcb  of  Louisiana  I  see,  like  a  speak- 
ing picture,  the  new  bishops  and  archbishops  which  it  pleases 
God  to  place  above  them  as  pastors. 

In  this  great  church  of  New  Orleans,  among  the  principal 
who  occupied  its  episcopal  chair  were  Mgr.  Penalver,  whose 
love  and  charity  towards  the  poor  was  proverbial ;  Mgr.  Du- 
bourg,  that  man  of  great  merit  and  letters,  whose  eloquence 
and  wisdom  was  tempered  by  the  sweetness  of  the  Gospel  light ; 
Mgr.  Odin,  that  sainted  archbishop  and  man  of  duty,  who 
united  the  delicacy  of  the  true  gentleman  with  the  simplicity  of 
the  early  apostles,  and  whose  long  episcopate  was  marked  by 
the  most  numerous  benefactions ;  Mgr.  Perche,  who  was  the 
personification  of  kindness,  and  who  could  never  close  either  his 
purse  or  his  heart  to  those  who  appealed  to  him  :  Mgr.  Lcray, 
whose  prudent  and  wise  administration  makes  him  remembered 
as  a  wise  and  worthy  prelate,  who  exemplified  in  every  phase 
of  his  brilliant  career  the  bishops  of  the  early  Gospel ;  and  lastly 
rises  the  picture  of  the  reigning  archbishop  of  New  Orleans. 
and  at  once  you  would  call  me  incapable  and  ungrateful,  my 
brethren,  if  I  did  not  present  to  him,  in  your  behalf,  the  senti- 
ments of  esteem,  affection  and  filial  veneration  which  you  would 


—  165  — 

offer  him  on  this  beautiful  day.  Yes,  Monseigneur!  As  pontiff 
and  i'ather,  this  festival  should  fill  your  heart  with  joy.  Your 
children,  bishops,  priests  and  faithful,  have  all  gathered  about 
you  to  tell  you  this  diocese  of  Louisiana  constitutes  only  one 
soul  in  God  and  for  God.  Your  works  stand  around  in  every 
village  and  hamlet  to  testify  to  the  wisdom  of  your  government, 
and  the  vigorous  growth  of  your  apostle.  Like  Mary  singing 
her  canticle  of  praise,  yon  also  may  intone  the  canticle  of 
thanksgiving. 


"MUTANTUR    IMPEREA,    ECCLESIA   DURAT." 


Ten  years  after  its  centennial  the  Old  Saint  Louis 
Cathedral  assumed  again  a  patriotic  garb  to  witness 
the  centenary  of  the  Purchase  of  Louisiana  from 
France  by  the  United  States.  The  same  notable  dis- 
play of  flags  was  made  on  the  facade  of  the  venerable 
building ;  the  same  bright  draperies  floated  across 
its  arched  aisles.  There  was,  however,  a  marked  dif- 
ference between  these  two  grandiose  festivities ;  the 
first  marked  the  celebration  of  a  day  which  stood  for 
the  immutability  of  the  Church,  the  latter  marked  an 
anniversary  which  showed  the  mutability  of  the 
nations.  One  spoke  of  God,  the  other  of  man,  and 
the  significance  of  the  festival  was  illustrated  by  the 
following  inscription  on  a  beautiful  shield  which  was 
hung  above  the  main  entrance  of  the  Church:  uMu- 
tantur  Imperia,  Ecclesia  Durat;"  "Empires  or  gov- 
ernments change,  but  the  Church  lasts." 

Such  a  gathering  as  the  one  that  assembled 
in  the  Cathedral  on  this  memorable  day  had  seldom 
before  been  seen  within  its  dim  gray  walls.  It  was 


—  166  — 

not  only  the  rich  setting1  of  priests  and  acolytes  in 
cassocks  and  surplices,  bishops  in  mantelleta  with 
miters  and  gilted  eroziers,  the  Archbishop  in  cappa 
inagna,  but  also  the  navy  and  diplomatic  corps  of 
the  three  illustrious  nations  under  whose  domination 
Louisiana  had  successively  passed:  France,  Spain 
and  the  Unite/1  States. 

The  chief  feature  of  the  entire  ceremony,  the 
one  that  left  the  deepest  impression  and  aroused  the 
greatest  admiration,  was  the  magnificent  oration  that 
Father  de  la  Moriniere  delivered  after  the  Gospel  at 
the  High  Muss.  Himself  a  Louisianian  and  a  child 
of  the  City  of  the  Purchase,  Father  de  La  Moriniere 
could  enter  into  the  theme  as  few  could  ;  his  dis- 
course, showing  the  work  of  the  Church  in  the  up- 
building and  christianizing  of  the  children  of  the 
primeval  forests  and  the  zeal  of  the  pious  mission- 
aries who  dotted  the  land  of  the  Purchase  with  the 
emblem  of  Christianity  from  the  Gulf  to  the  Great 
Lakes,  together  with  his  prayer  of  thanksgiving, 
was  one  of  the  most  stirring  sermons  ever  heard  in 
the  Old  Cathedral.  Father  de  la  Moriiiiere  spoke  as 
follows  : 

It  is  singularly  appropriate,  and  in  striking  and  touching 
harmony  with  the  traditions  aud  early  chronicles  of  Louisiana 
that  the  Catholic  t'liurch  should  claim  a  right  royal  share  in  this 
day's  rejoicings,  shed  the  halo  of  her  sacred  presence  upon  this 
gathering  of  noble  men  and  noble  women,  and  consecrate  l>y 
the  splendor  of  her  ceremonies  and  the  magnificence  of  her 
ritual  our  loyal  endeavors  to  celebrate,  as  it  deserves,  the  one 
hundredth  anniversary  of  our  transferred  allegiance  from  the 
tricolor  of  France  to  the  Stars  aud  Stripes  of  the  United  States 
of  America.  For  none  but  the  wilfully  blind  or  unaccountably 
ignorant  can  fail  to  catch  glimpses  of  her  authority,  mark  her 
activity  and  trace  her  influence  ou  our  coast  already  in  the 


Photo  Teunisson. 


A  MEMORABLE  PKOCESSIOX. 


-  168  — 

dawn  of  those  centuries  of  colonization  which  preceded  the  con- 
suniniation  which  we  uow  commemorate. 

It  was  her  palladium  raised  in  hope  and  confidence  over  the 
head  of  the  daring  explorer  that  made  unflinching  his  resolve, 
unyielding  his  nerve,  stout  his  heart,  strong  his  arm  and  un- 
wavering his  step  in  his  irksome  march  and  perilous  enterprise. 
It  was  her  ministering  care  that  smoothed  his  path  and  softened 
his  hardships.  It  was  her  voice  crying  onward  and  forward 
that  urged  him  on  when  faltering  nature  whispered  halt  and 
rest.  It  was  the  light  of  that  divine  faith  which  she  flashed 
along  his  dismal  way  which  scattered  the  shadows  conjured  up 
so  often  hy  despondency  and  dispair.  It  was  the  lofty  and 
supernatural  aim  that  she  held  before  his  eager  gaze  that  trans- 
formed his  mission  into  an  apostolate.  It  was  her  hands  clasped 
in  supplicating  prayer  that  crowned  his  efforts  seemingly  un- 
available and  ultimate  and  unlooked-for  success.  It  was  her 
selfless  devotion  which  oft  shielded  him  from  harm,  encom- 
passed him  by  night  and  day,  through  flood  and  field,  the 
trackless  waste  and  stormy  sea,  like  a  mother's  unspoken  bene- 
diction. It  was  the  welcomed  consciousness  that  she  would  be 
at  his  side,  within  his  reach,  in  the  person  of  her  minister 
ready  to  strengthen  him  if  he  grew  faint,  to  cheer  him  if  he 
drooped,  to  shrive  him  if  he  fell  and  to  open  Heaven  to  him 
if  he  died,  which  gave  to  many  a  youth  born  and  bred  in  luxury, 
basking  in  the  sunshine  of  comfort  and  the  smiles  of  fortune, 
courage  to  leave  home  and  native  land,  sever  the  strongest  ties 
of  blood  and  friendship,  forego  the  laughter  of  mirth  and  the 
gay  revels  of  ancestral  halls,  in  order  to  brave  the  baneful 
effects  of  unwholesome  climes,  plow  the  broad  bosom  of  the 
ocean  and,  in  frail  bark  canoes,  the  unfriendly  surface  of 
inland  lakes;  plod  over  the  Indian  trail  through  summer's 
blistering  rays  and  winter's  ice-laden  blasts;  in  a  word,  to  dare 
the  deeds  and  achieve  the  feats  which  have  rendered  famous, 
in  the  bead-roll  of  the  world's  heroes,  the  names  of  not  a  few 
among  the  early  pioneers  of  our  cherished  Louisiana. 

But  alas  and  alack!  The  jaundiced  eye  of  prejudice  has 
not  failed  to  look  askance  at  the  motives  which  prompted  the 
monarchies  of  Spain  and  France  to  spread  the  fold  of  their  flag 
over  portions  of  far-oft'  lands  and  dispatch  armed  banda  to 
tread  the  great  arteries  of  our  continent.  A  popular  writer  did 
not  scruple  to  speak  of  the  wild  and  predatory  nature  of  those 


—  169  — 


expeditious  which  added  large  possessions  to  the  impoverished 
exchequers  of  the  distaut  aud  greedy  rulers,  and  of  the  heroic 
explorers  themselves  as  an  unbridled  aud  unprincipled  horde, 
delighting  in  roving  iucursious  and  extravagant  exploits,  and 
iu  whose  eyes  no  gain  was  so  glorious  as  the  cavalgada  of  spoils 
and  captives  driven  in  triumph  from  a  plundered  province, 

while  religion  herself  was 
branded  as  lending  her  aid 
to  satisfy  these  ravaging  pro- 
pensities. We  are  asked  to 
believe  that  it  was  the  spirit 
of  Spanish  chilvalry,  which, 
bred  up  to  daring  adventure 
and  heroic  achievements, 
and  ill-brooking  the  tranquil 
and  regular  pursuits  of  com- 
mon life,  panted  for  new 
fields  of  romantic  emprise, 
that  sent  the  Castiliau.  cav- 
alier to  the  caravel  of  the  dis- 
coverer, and  not  this  longing 
to  do  yeoman's  service  in  the 
cause  of  God  and  the  propa- 
gation of  the  faith.  On  the 
other  hand,  an  unsuspected 
author  has  boldly  declared 

that  it  would  not  be  giving  a  fair  view  of  the  great  object  pro- 
posed by  the  Spanish  sovereigns  in  their  schemes  of  discovery  to 
omit  one  which  was  paramount  to  all  the  rest.  And  what  is 
that  ?  The  spreading  of  Christianity  and  the  conversion  and 
civilization  of  a  simple  people.  This  statement  of  Prescotr,  iu  a 
well-known  work,  is  substantiated  by  facts  than  which,  as  we 
are  aware,  nothing  is  more  stubborn.  In  a  letter  indited  as 
far  back  as  1521,  Ponce  de  Leon,  of  Florida  fame,  informs  his 
august  patron  and  master  that  he  returns  to  that  island  if  it  be 
God's  will  to  settle  it,  "  that  the  name  of  Christ  may  be  praised 
there  and  Your  Majesty  served  with  the  fruit  that  laud  pro- 
duce." In  no  other  vein  is  couched  the  King's  patent  to  Lucas 
Vasquez  de  Ayllou  in  1523,  two  years  after:  "Our  primal 
intent  in  the  discovery  of  new  lands  is  that  the  natives  thereof 
be  brought  to  the  truth  of  our  holy  Catholic  faith,  become 


Photo  C.  M.  C. 

REV.    E.    DE    LA   MOKINIKKE. 


—  170- 

Christians  and  be  saved  :  and  this  is  the  chief  motive  you  are 
to  hold  in  this  affair,  and  to  this  end  it  is  proper  that  religious 
persons  should  accompany  you."  It  is  the  chief  condition  of  the 
King's  grant  to  Heinando  de  Soto  in  1538,  "  that  he  should  carry 
and  bear  with  him  the  religious  and  priests  who  shall  be  ap- 
pointed hy  us  for  the  instruction  of  the  natives  of  that  province 
in  onr  holy  Catholic  faith." 

Small  wonder,  then,  that  side  liy  >ide  with  that  noble 
knight  and  true  Christian  whose  mortal  remains  rest  in  peace/ 
within  that  oaken  trunk  scooped  out  by  his  companions,  and  by 
them  sunk  many  fathoms  deep  in  the  bed  of  the  Mississippi ; 
small  wonder  that  side  by  side  with  Hernaudo  De  Soto,  on  the 
unknown  and  hitherto  unexplored  soil  of  Louisiana,  stand 
the  minister  of  Christ  and  the  anointed  representative  of  the 
Church.  The  hood  and  the  cowl  and  the  robe  of  brown  or  gray 
mingle  their  sombre  line  with  the  refulgent  brightness  that 
shoots  and  glances  from  the  burnished  armors  and  polished 
weapons  of  the  sous  of  Spain.  Through  the  long  vistas  of 
slender  pines  and  stately  oaks  the  cross  is  held  aloft  above  the 
sweeping  pageantry  of  iron  heels  and  gnilded  spurs.  The 
pennant  of  Castile  is  seen  fluttering  low  before  the  emblem  of 
salvation.  A  trumpet  signal,  and  the  plumed  crested  warriors 
give  willing  knee  to  the  adorable  host  of  the  eucharistic 
sacrifice  offered  by  the  officiating  priest  at  an  improvised  altar, 
reared  beneath  the  swaying  boughs  of  that  vast  sylvan  solitude. 

And  if  we  pass  the  Spanish  hidalgo  to  the  French  chevalier, 
everywhere  the  scene  is  the  same.  From  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
to  the  lakes  of  Canada  and  the  headwaters  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
religion  and  chivalry,  gowned  priest  and  belted  knight,  march- 
ing hand  in  hand  to  the  conquest,  civilization  and  evangeli/a- 
tion  of  new  worlds.  The  merry  ringing,  for  a  whole  day,  of 
the  Quebec,  in  1675,  the  soulful  chanting  of  the  "  Te  Denin"  by 
the  bishop,  the  clergy  and  entire  population  because  the  Jesuit 
Marquette  had  discovered  the  mouth  of  the  giant  river  which 
fertilizes  these  shores,  besides  telling  us  how  our  European 
fathers  deemed  it  their  tirst  duty  to  give  thanks  to  the  divine 
Arbiter  of  human  destiny  for  whatever  success  attended  their 
perilous  efforts  in  the  toils  and  hardships  of  exploration,  voice 
in  language  more  impressive  and  more  grandly  eloquent  than 
human  speech  the  most  gifted  can  ever  hope  to  command,  the 
deep  concern  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  every  befalling  of  the 


iiir  RKV,  MGR.  J.  M.  LAVAL. 


—  172  — 

nascent  colony,  and  the  close  interweaving  of  their  common 
interests.  In  tones  no  less,  nay  still  more  striking,  is  the  same 
truth  proclaimed  by  the  exultant  strains  of  that  mighty  chorus 
of  praise  to  the  Most  High,  which,  on  the  night  of  January, 
1682,  leaped  to  the  starlit  sky  from  the  throats  of  noble  and 
plebeian,  priest  and  soldier,  shook  the  leafy  walls  of  nature's 
temple,  and  started  the  slumbering  echoes  of  a  Louisiana  wilder- 
ness when  Kobert  Cavelier  de  la  Salle,  in  the  name  of  the  most 
puissant,  most  invincible  and  victorious  Prince,  Louis  the  Great. 
King  of  France,  unfurled  the  white  banner  to  the  breeze,  and 
nailed  to  the  column  he  had  planted  the  royal  escutcheon.  Yon 
cannot  summon  in  fancy  the  towering  rignre  of  Iberville,  the 
fearless  Commander  of  the  Pelican;  of  BieuA'ille,  his  distinguished 
and  valorous  brother,  to  whom  our  city  of  New  Orleans  owes  its 
existence;  of  Sauvolle,  the  most  accomplished  of  that  noble 
trio  of  brothers,  without  resting  your  mind's  eye  upon  the 
saintly  figures  of  those  priests  of  Jesus  Christ,  Montigny  and 
Davion,  and  others  of  their  cloth,  who  shared  the  varied  for- 
tunes of  those  matchless  leaders,  and  furnished  by  their  labors, 
in  behalf  of  the  untutored  savage  of  the  wilds,  materials  for 
the  most  thrilling  narrative. 

"I  tell  you  this  morning,  with  all  the  earnestness  I  may 
possess,  that  you  might  as  well  try  to  shear  the  sun  of  his  beams, 
to  strip  the  moon  of  her  silver  mantle,  to  pluck  by  the  roots  you 
Rocky  Mountains,  to  check  the  flow  or  drain  the  basin  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  as  to  sever  the  tie  which  binds  the  Catholic 
Church  to  Louisiana  from  the  very  moment  when  the  settler's 
axe  cleared  her  tangled  forests,  and  the  navigator's  sail  opened 
to  the  traffic  of  the  world  her  countless  watercourses.  I  tell  you 
that  if  we,  whose  infancy  was  cradled  on  her  soil,  whose  youth 
was  reared  and  nurtured  in  her  schools,  whose  matnrer  years 
ripeued  in  the  day  of  her  Statehood,  amid  tlie  marvels  of  her 
development,  if  we  should  ever,  may  God  forbid,  forget  the 
honor  and  the  fidelity  and  the  obedience  we  owe  to  the  Catholic 
Church,  the  very  stones  of  our  streets,  the  vary  sands  of  our 
shores,  the  very  blades  of  grass  on  our  remaining  prairies  would 
find  tongues  to  reproach  us  with  our  recreancy  and  ingratitude, 
while  the  bones  of  our  fathers  that  molder  in  our  cemeteries 
beneath  the  shadow  of  the  cross  would  rattle  with  indignation 
in  their  graves  at  the  conduct  of  their  traitor  sons.  Aye, 
traitors!  For  remember,  Louisianiaus  of  the  twentieth  century, 


—  173  — 

remember  that  the  blood  of  your  sires  arid  the  blood  of  the 
Catholic  Church  may  be  said  to  have  mingled  their  ruddy  streams 
when  in  the  eighteenth  century  the  French  missionaries  and 
their  flock  were  by  the  slaughtering  hands  of  the  Natchez  tribes 
made  to  till  a  common  grave. 

But,  although  the  wise  Governor  of  all  things  h;is  hidden 
the  future  from  the  ken  of  our  feeble  understanding,  and  our 
clearest  conceptions  of  what  may  happen  are  involved  in  doubt, 
yet,  judging  of  things  to  come  by  their  predecessors,  it  may  not 
be  rash  to  prophesy  that  the  calamitous  day  will  never  be 
on  record  against  us.  For,  from  the  gleatniugs  of  history,  I 
seem  to  witness  the  glad  and  enthusiastic  welcome  given  in 
1699  to  their  lirst  resident  chaplain  by  the  first  French  settle- 
ment in  Louisiana  at  that  little  post  built  by  Iberville  at 
Biloxi.  Uncontrollable  emotion  convulsed  the  frames  of  strong 
men  and  bathed  with  tears  of  joy  and  gratefulness  the  cheeks 
of  frail  women  when  they  realized  that  there  now  was  in  their 
midst  one  who  would  soothe  their  sorrows,  share  their  trials,  a 
priest  who  would  pardon  their  sins,  baptize  their  children,  join 
them  in  Christian  wedlock,  anoint  them  in  the  last  illness  with 
the  sacred  oils,  and  whisper  the  blessings  of  the  Church  over 
their  freshly  dug  graves. 

And  when,  in  1718,  at  the  command  of  that  peerless  organ- 
izer, Bieuville,  whose  searching  glance  had  marked  the  glorious 
possibilities  and  foreseen  the  future  greatness  of  our  emporium, 
fifty  gigantic  sous  of  the  forest  were  laid  low  to  make  room  for 
the  foundation  of  New  Orleans,  what  is  it  that  led  to  the  pro- 
jected city  the  dwellers  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  ?  The  facilities 
for  import  and  export,  doubtless,  which  the  plan  afforded,  but 
chiefly,  I  believe,  the  eager  wish  of  their  Catholic  hearts  to 
build  their  rough  homesteads  within  the  shadow  of  those  sanc- 
tuaries which  they  knew  must,  at  no  distant  period,  dot 
that  strip  of  promised  laud.  They  were  not  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment. The  wooden  crosses  erected  in  the  fields  and  public 
thoroughfares  and  roads  soon  yielded  space  for  the  construction 
of  churches  and  chapels,  and  the  year  1723  saw  on  the  street 
Hamed  Chartres.  after  the  ducal  sou  of  the  French  regent,  and 
within  stone's  throw  of  the  fronting  "  Place  d'Annes,"  a  wooden 
cross  which,  soon  swept  away  by  the  breath  of  the  hurricane, 
was  replaced  in  1725  by  a  more  elaborate  structure,  from  whose 
ashes  the  munificent  bounty  of  that  philanthropic  prince,  Don 


—  174  — 

Andres  Aluionester  y  Roxas,  mad«  to  spring,  in  17!i;>.  tli.-it  boast 
iind  pride  of  our  city,  tliar,  faithful  depository  of  our  traditiim. 
that  majestic  witness  of  all  the  memorable  events  of  <m>  history, 
that  venerable  theatre  of  the  most  glowing  scene  in  our  civil 
and  religious  annals,  the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral,  within  whose 
storied  walls  we  are  now  assembled,  under  the  leadership  of  the 
most  distinguished  prelate  who  has  ever  graced  its  archiepis- 
copal  throne,  to  invoke  the  divine  blessing  upon  onr  Southland. 

But  in  1725  the  Cathedral  bells,  now  "nestling  in  their  lofty 
steeples,"  had  not  snug  the  pa-ans  of  victory  to  the  Christian 
colonists.  Through  winds  and  floods,  pestilence  and  famine,  lire 
and  countless  calamitous  visitations,  the  Church  was  striving 
to  get  a  surer  footing  and  plant  her  standard  more  firmly  in  the 
rising  city  of  Hieuville.  She  was  busy  recruiting  her  ranks  from 
foreign  seminaries  to  cope  with  the  increasing  needs  of  a  grow- 
ing population.  She  husbanded  jealously  all  her  resources, 
multiplied  her  endeavors  to  reach  by  her  ministrations  the 
humblest  of  Christ's  flock,  and  especially  the  waifs  and  strays 
of  life  that  were  wandering  far  from  her  protecting  arms.  The 
education  of  young  girls  was  sorely  neglected.  The  mother 
country  was  appealed  to,  and  across  the  billowy  main  she 
reached  out  her  helping  hand  to  her  imploring  children.  Con- 
formably to  a  contract  with  the  West  India  Company,  eight 
valiant  Ursuliue  Nuns,  whose  number  was  soon  to  increase  to 
nineteen,  lauded  at  New  Orleans  on  the  6th  of  August,  1727,  to 
begin  the  work  of  education  and  charity  which  has  been  con- 
tinued under  five  different  national  flags  in  its  existence  of 
more  than  a  century  and  a  half,  and  has  trained  in  their 
academies  those  accomplished  daughters  of  the  South,  whose 
Christian  graces  are  an  honor  to  their  country  as  well  as  to 
their  skillful  and  devoted  teachers.  A  rare  sight  and  a  wel- 
comed one  must  that  procession  have  been  which  escorted  the 
daughters  of  Saint  Ursulato  their  newly  finished  convent,  on 
Ursuline  street,  which  is  the  oldest  building  in  the  city  and 
the  oldest  conventual  structure  within  the  limits  of  our  Re- 
public. 

A  Capuchin  father,  with  two  Jesuits  as  his  assistants. 
bearing  the  blessed  sacrament  under  a  canopy  ;  the  veiled  nuns, 
in  choir  mantles,  following;  the  Governor  and  his  start'  imme- 
diately after;  then  the  citizens,  preceding  the  military  force 
of  the  colony,  whose  drums  and  instruments  blended  their 


Photo  B.  Moore. 

HIS    EXCELLKXCK    MOST    REV.    LOUIS    P.    CllAPELLK. 


—  176  — 

sounds  with  the  religious  chants  as  they  moved  along.  A  rare 
and  soul-lifting  si<rht,  that  to  which,  however,  I  would  not 
have  called  your  attention  were  it  not  for  the  treasured  lesson 
which  it  teaches :  The  profound  and  public  homage  paid  by 
the  civil  power  to  the  Church  and  her  ministers  and  to  the 
members  of  our  Catholic  sisterhood.  Neither  would  I  allude  to 
the  sous  of  Saiut  Ignatius  of  Loyola,  who,  together  with  the  sons 
of  Saint  Francis,  ministered  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the 
infant  city,  were  it  not  to  say,  with  laudable  pride,  that 
their  work  in  your  midst  today  for  the  training  of  the  young 
and  the  service  of  the  altar  is  instinct,  with  the  same  un- 
selfish, self-sacrificing  and  patriotic  love  for  Louisiana  as  that 
which  quickened  the  pulses  aiid  fired  the  souls  of  their  pioneer 
brothers  in  1762.  At  that  period  the  tread  of  events  was  about 
to  turn  and  affairs  were  fast  speeding  to  a  crisis.  For  reasons 
detailed  by  historians  the  mother-milk  could  no  longer  in  suf- 
ficient draughts  reach  the  lips  of  the  nursling,  and  Louis  XV 
was  advised  to  give  it  into  hands  better  able  to  provide  it  with 
the  necessary  nourishment.  Under  seeming  cover  of  affection 
and  friendship  tor  his  ''Cousin  of  Spain,"  but  in  reality  under 
pressure  of  circumstances,  he  ceded  "  to  him  and  his  successors 
all  the  country  known  under  the  name  of  Louisiana,"  and  thus 
the  much-enduring  population,  which  had  overcome  so  many 
perils  under  the  Hag  of  France,  was  coldly  delivered  over  to  the 
yoke  of  foreign  masters. 

It  is  not  hard  to  imagine  the  conflicting  emotions  aroused 
in  the  breasts  of  our  forefathers  by  the  unexpected  news  which 
reached  New  Orleans  in  1764.  They  loved  their  French  descent 
and  dependency.  They  were  proud  of  their  language,  and 
attached  to  Their  laws,  manners,  customs,  habits  and  govern- 
ment. The  treaty  of  Foutaiuebleau  had  been  secret.  Neither 
had  their  wishes  been  consulted  nor  their  consent  solicited,  so 
they  chafed  under  a  sense  of  wrong  sure  to  break  out  into  re- 
pn-als  at  which,  while  we  deplore  them,  we  can  in  no  way 
marvcl.  I  glide  over  that  Touching  incident  in  which  on  bended 
knees  the  aged  and  feeble  Bieuville,  like  a  father  suing  for  the 
life  of  his  child,  vainly  pleaded  with  France  not  to  strip  herself 
by  one  stroke  of  the  pen  of  those  boundless  possessions  which 
she  had  acquired  at  the  cost  of  so  much  heroic  blood  and  so  much 
treasure,  and  which  extended  in  one  proud,  uninterrupted  line 
from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  that  of  the  Mississippi. 


—  177  — 

I  glide  over  that  dark  episode,  the  insurrection  of  1768,  which 
closed  with  the  public  execution  of  the  chief  abettors,  to  bid 
you  view  in  spirit  the  scene  enacted  on  this  very  square,  when, 
amid  the  pealing  of  bells  and  the  roaring  of  cannon  from  the 
Spanish  fleet,  and  the  discharge  of  guns  by  the  laud  troops,  and 
the  waving  of  banners,  and  the  beating  of  drums,  and  the 
clanging  of  trumpets,  General  O'Reilly  took  possession  of  this 
colony  in  the  name  of  his  Catholic  Majesty,  and  the  flag  of 
France  sank  from  the  head  of  the  mast  where  it  waved,  and 
was  replaced  by  that  of  Spain.  When  on  that  day  both  Gov- 
ernors and  their  retinues  were  received  by  the  clergy  in  this 
Cathedral,  then  the  Church  of  Saint  Louis,  where  a  solemn  "Te 
Deuru"  was  sung,  be  pleased  to  observe  that  it  was  again  the 
Church  who  poured  oil  over  the  troubled  waters  by  pleading  to 
the  new  administration  the  loyal  submission  of  her  children  :  a 
submission  which  ripened  to  ardent  love  and  devotion  during 
the  thirty-three  years  in  which  the  flag  of  Spain  floated  over 
onr  city  and  country. 

But  of  those  colonial  days,  whose  memory  shall  only  vanish 
from  our  midst  when  the  last  of  those  relics  and  monuments 
which  breathe  their  spirit  and  speak  of  their  quaint  and  ro- 
mantic grandeur  shall  have  been  leveled  with  the  dust  by  the 
unsparing  hand  of  time;  to  those  days  the  gratitude  of  our 
ancestors  bade  a  tender,  if  not  a  wholly  regretful,  farewell 
when,  in  1803,  Louisiana  found  herself  no  longer  a  portion  of 
the  Spanish  monarchy,  nor  yet' of  the  French  Republic,  to 
which  she  was  receded  for  a  brief  spau,  but  part  and  parcel  of 
the  threat  American  Republic. 

Mine  is  not  the  task  on  this  Centennial  Day  to  say  how  the 
purchase  of  the  Louisiana  Territory  is,  next  to  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  and  the  formation  of  the  Constitution  which 
made  us  a  nation,  the  greatest  event  in  American  history  ;  how, 
nearly  doubling  the  area  of  the  United  States  by  adding  ter- 
ritoiy  equal  to  the  combined  area  of  Great  Britain,  Germany, 
France.  Spain,  Portugal  and  Italy,  for  the  sum  of  $15,000,000, 
which  the  Tit  in  Bonaparte  deemed  a  fair  price,  it  was  the 
greuttsfc  real  estate  speculation  which  the  world  has  ever  seen  ; 
how  it  was  the  most  noteworthy  political  move,  averting  prob- 
able fierce  and  long  conflicts,  waste  of  life,  destruction  of  prop- 
erty and  retardation  of  progress,  I  leave  those  facts  to  the 
statesman,  the  nn.incier  and  the  diplomat.  Mine  is  not  even 


—  178  — 

the  task  to  unfold  the  giant  strides  made  in  the  course  of  a 
century  by  the  intellectual  civilization  of  which  the  b»r,  the 
medical  profession,  the  literary  aud  scientific  circles,  nay  every 
class,  every  interest,  every  fireside,  gives  unquestionable  tokens. 
I  turn  to  thoughts  more  in  .accord  with  my  theme.  I  trace  the 
luminous  finger  of  God  in  the  progress  of  his  Church  in  Louis- 
iana through  these  hundred  years  which  divide  us  from  the 
consummation  of  that  great  purchase.  To  you,  Catholics,  I  say, 
look  around  you,  and  while  you  marvel  at  the  contrast  between 
now  aud  then;  while  you  marvel  at  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  your  religion  in  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  let  your  hearts 
brim  over  with  gratefulness.  Let  your  lips  hymn  fosthasong 
of  praise  "For  the  things  which  the  right  hand  of  the  Almighty 
hadth  done  in  Sion." 

Count  your  numbers  aud  be  glad  that  from  a  mere  handful 
it  has  swollen  to  375  000  in  this  Archdiocese.  The  roll  of  the 
Catholic  clergy  which  counted  twenty-six  in  town  and  country, 
boasts  of  more  than  220  faithful  shepherds  tending  the  flock  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  those  199  churches  sprung  from  the  soil  under 
the  magic  wand  of  charity  and  zeal.  Twe-ity-two  thousand  and 
four  hundred  and  sixty-three  is  the  number  of  young  people 
under  Catholic  care.  Five  colleges  and  academies  for  boys  and 
seventeen  for  young  ladies,  train  your  sons  and  daughters  in  the 
higher  grades  of  study.  Orphan  asylums  and  hospitals  and 
homes  for  the  aged  poor  shelter  the  weak  and  the  sick  and  the 
destitute.  A  hundred  years  !  'And  how  the  little  grain  of  mus- 
tard seed  has  sprouted  up  aud  branched  forth  into  the  sheltering, 
widespreading  tree!  A  hundred  years!  If  from  their  seats  on 
high,  Heaven's  dwellers  are,  as  we  believe,  permitted  a  view  of 
human  concerns,  the  sight  of  those  devout  worshipers,  men, 
women  and  children,  who  throng  our  altar  rail  on  Sundays  and 
festivals,  must  fill  the  blessed  soul  of  the  Bishop  Peualver  with 
far  more  different  feelings  than  those  which  prompted  these 
words  to  Bishop  Carroll:  "Not  more  than  a  quarter  of  the 
population  of  the  town  ever  hear  mass.  A  hundred  years  and 
the  Catholic  Church,  that  great  creation  of  God's  power  stands 
in  this  laud  in  the  pride  of  place.  She  energized  through  ten 
thousand  instruments  of  power  and  influence.  She  wears  her 
honors  thick  upon  her  venerable  brows,  en  thronged  among  us  in 
a  See  which,  in  this  Republic,  is  second  only  to  that  of  Balti- 
more." 


—  179  — 

And  here,  a  vision  of  ten  mitred  heads  passes  before  me. 
Their  glance  sweeps  in  gladness  through  this  vast  assemblage. 
Representatives  of  France  and  Spain,  and  of  America,  Peualver, 
Dubourg,  Rosati,  Neckere,  Blanc,  Odin,  Perche,  Leray,  Jansseus, 
welcome  yon  to  this  Cathedral,  from  whose  bell-towers  rang  out 
the  first  joyous  peals  that,  on  the  twentieth  day  of  December, 
1803,  welcomed  the  American  flag  waving  within  sight  of  its 
portals  in  its  fronting  square.  Catholics  of  New  Orleans,  your 
departed  Fathers  in  God  salute  you,  while  with  uplifted  fiuger 
they  poiut  in  pride  to  their  pontific  successor,  and  bid  you 
mingle  your  voices  in  a  concert  of  praise  to  our  Lord  Jt-sns  Christ 
who  has  vouchsafed  to  bestow  a  priceless  gift  upon  the  Church 
of  New  Orleans  in  the  persoitof  his  Excellency  Most  Keverend 
Archbishop  Chapelle.  Your  Excellency,  your  learning  and 
prudence,  equalled  only  by  your  piety  and  zeal,  have  achieved 
a  success  foreseen  by  our  lamented  Holy  Father,  Leon  XIII, 
when  he  chose  you,  among  all  your  empurpled  peers,  for  one  of 
the  most  difficult  missions  in  the  records  of  ecclesiastical  diplo- 
macy. The  fame  which  your  Excellency  has  won  on  these 
foreign  fields  of  apostolic  delegation,  beside  shedding  on  the 
history  of  this  archdiocese  a  lustre  which  will  forever  emblazon 
its  pages,  it  is  to  your  devoted  children  an  earnest  that  in  your 
saintly  and  skilful  hands  the  banner  of  Christ  is  marching  to 
fresh  victories  and  fresh  conquests  in  the  opening  day  of  this 
new  ceutury  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase.  Yet,  while  giving 
thanks,  we  cannot  wholly  forget  that  the  sun  of  our  prosperity 
was  not  unclouded  by  the  shadows  of  disaster.  The  Ruler  of  the 
Universe,  who  in  the  language  of  the  Psalmist,  "  Exalteth  the 
Nations,"  is  sometimes  pleased,  for  reasons  known  only  to  His 
inscrutable  providence,  to  test  them  in  crucible  trials.  Louis- 
iana proved  no  exception  to  that  rule.  The  rods  of  affliction 
which  threatened  to  scourge  the  shoulders  of  our  forefathers 
were  stayed  in  their  fall  by  the  appointed  arm  of  that  great 
soldier.  Jackson,  who  on  the  memorable  twenty-third  day  of 
January,  1815.  crowued  iu  tbis  very  temple  with  a  laurel  wreath 
from  the  hands  of  Abbe"  Dubourg,  offered  public  homage  to  the 
God  of  armies  for  the  victory  which  had  perched  upon  his 
standard,  and  had  freed  New  Orleans  from  British  invasion. 
But  there  was  no  appointed  arm  to  drive  back  the  rushing  tide 
of  that  other  war  which  raged  and  roared  during  four  long 
years  of  alternate  joy  and  grief,  hopes  and  fears,  reverses  and 


—  180  — 

successes,  exultation  and  dispair ;  during  four  long  years  which 
like  a  deep  red  trail  of  our  best  Southern  blood,  stretched  from 
Sumter  to  Appomattox.  Yet: 

O  Gracious  God!  not  gainless  is  the  loss! 

A  glorious  sunbeam  glides  thy  sternest  frown. 

For  the  curtain  has  fallen  long  ago  on  those  mournful  scenes 
of  carnage,  and  thy  hand  has  beautified  and  comforted  and 
healed,  until  there  is  nothing  left  of  those  calamitous  days  but 
graves  and  garlands,  and  monuments,  and  veterans,  and  pre- 
cious memories.  And  we  still  give  thanks.  For  we  have  been 
built  into  a  sturdier  race  by  the  example  and  the  memory  of 
those  of  our  fathers  and  brothers  who  were  the  bravest  men 
that  ever  girt  sword  or  shouldered  musket;  the  most  knightly 
warriors  that  cannon-signal  or  trumpet-flourished  ever  sum- 
moned to  bloody  fields  ;  men  whose  spirits  never  faltered,  whose 
hearts  never  quailed,  whose  courage  never  wavered;  whose 
resolve  never  failed  through  four  bitter  years  of  recurring 
failure;  and  whose  self-sacrifice,  self-denial  and  indomitable 
ardor  have  no  parallel  in  the  annals  of  any  nation. 

We  still  give  thanks,  for  in  brotherly  love  we  now  clasp 
each  other's  hands  above  the  dark  chasm  of  an  unfortunate 
past.  We  owe  legal  allegiance  to  a  united  country.  The  same 
flag  sweeps  in  mighty  over  our  heads,  and  we  do  common 
homage  to  its  folds  which  command  respect  for  the  American 
name  on  sea  and  land. 

In  a  moment,  the  voice  of  pontiff,  priests  and  people  will 
rise  to  the  throne  of  grace  in  humble  acknowledgment  of  favors 
received,  and  in  fervent  pleading  for  new  blessings.  When  the 
strains  of  that  solemn  "Te  Deum  "  shall  have  died  along  the 
vaults  of  this  Cathedral,  on  the  very  spot  where  it  floated  high 
for  the  first  time,  one  hundred  years  ago.  you  will  again  raise 
that  flag.  Let  its  voice  be  heard.  Let  it  be  heard  beyond  the 
limits  of  this  city,  beyond  the  limits  of  this  territory.  Let  it 
be  wafted  to  where  the  nation  sits  in  council  to  tell  this  one, 
indivisible,  imperishable  Republic  that  among  all  the  stars  that 
gem  its  diadem  of  States  none  shines  more  brightly,  none  more 
steadily,  none  more  faithfully,  none  more  loyally  than  that  of 
Louisiana,  purchased  by  Thomas  Jefferson  from  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte, in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
three. 


-  181  - 

One  hundred  and  fifteen  years  have  elapsed  since 
the  Saint  Louis  Cathedral  was  solemnly  dedicated 
by  Don  Patricio  Walsh,  Foreign  Vicar  for  the  Bishop 
of  Havana, — and  still  she  stands  in  our  midst,  majes- 
tically towering  the  very  heart  of  this  City.  The 
visitor  looking  upon  her  is  at  once  impressed  with 
her  age  and  dignity,  and  seeks  to  wrest  from  her  the 
history  of  bygone  days.  She  is  the  ancestor  of  all 
the  churches  of  the  entire  Louisiana  Purchase.  Un- 
der her  beneficent  shadow  four  and  five  generations 
have  grown  to  manhood. 

A  few  feet  from  her  portico,  the  soldiers  both 
of  France  and  Spain  unfurled  their  standards,  and 
General  Jackson  crossed  her  threshold  with  the  lau- 
rels of  victory  still  fresh  on  his  brow. 

Her  vaulted  arches  from  time  to  time  re-echoed 
the  solemn  strains  of  the  "  Te  Deum,"  and  the  plain- 
tive tones  of  the  u  Miserere." 

From  her  pulpit,  men  gifted  with  soul  stirring 
eloquence  attracted  the  elite  of  a  society  that  knew 
better  days. 

Beneath  the  cold  flagstones  of  her  sanctuary  re- 
pose many  a  grand  sire  of  the  past  generations. 

The  majestic  Old  Cathedral  remains  a  mute  wit- 
ness of  the  departed  glory  of  men  and  events.  She 
is  the  immortal  landmark  among  the  many  brilliant 
but  short-lived  monuments  that  recall  the  history  of 
Louisiana,  and  her  centennial  existence  impresses  far 
more  than  words  those  who  know  how  sweet  it  is  to 
weave  into  their  lives  the  golden  threads  of  the  past. 

THE  END. 


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